The
BIG
Question
Randy Faris/CORBIS
UNIT 6
2
Why Do We Share
Our Stories?
“
I like a good
story well told.
—Mark Twain, writer
”
LOOKING AHEAD
The skill lessons and readings in this unit will help you develop your own answer
to the Big Question.
UNIT 6 WARM-UP • Connecting to the Big Question
GENRE FOCUS: Folktale
Brer Rabbit and Brer Lion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 654
by Julius Lester
READING WORKSHOP 1
Skill Lesson: Understanding Cause
and Effect
The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660
by Phyllis Savory
Charles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668
by Shirley Jackson
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 1
Modern Folktale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 676
READING WORKSHOP 2
Skill Lesson: Questioning
The Boy and His Grandfather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 684
by Rudolfo A. Anaya
Jeremiah’s Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 690
by Walter Dean Myers
READING WORKSHOP 3
Skill Lesson: Predicting
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 706
by Mark Crilley
We Are All One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 716
by Laurence Yep
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 2
Modern Folktale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724
READING WORKSHOP 4
Skill Lesson: Analyzing
Voices—and Stories—from the Past . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 734
by Kathryn Satterfield, updated from Time for Kids
Aunty Misery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 742
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
Comparing
Cultural Contexts
Aunt Sue’s Stories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 751
by Langston Hughes
I Ask My Mother to Sing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 753
by Li-Young Lee
UNIT 6 WRAP-UP • Answering the Big Question
649
UNIT 6
WARM-UP
Connecting to
Why Do We Share
Our Stories?
We share our stories for many reasons—sometimes just for fun. For example, you and your
friends may have entertained each other with funny stories about school or your lives. We also
share our stories to keep the past alive and preserve our memories. In your own life, your family may have shared stories with you about what you were like as a little kid. Through storytelling, we can even share words of wisdom and comfort. In this unit, you’ll read stories and
poems that will help you explore these and other reasons that we share our stories.
Real Kids and the Big Question
Lannette has been very quiet. Her friends are worried. Her parents divorced six months ago, but Lannette has never talked
about it. Her friend, ANA, wants to help. She remembers
when her parents divorced and has some idea of how Lannette
is feeling. Ana wants to share her experiences with Lannette. Do
you think she should? Why or why not?
ROBERT’S new stepsister, Cleo,
has been getting into trouble at
school. Robert was a troublemaker himself when he was
Cleo’s age. But after getting
expelled from school four
years ago, he turned his
life around. Now Robert
is a “B” student and a lot
happier. He’s thinking of
sharing his story with
Cleo. Do you think
Cleo can learn from
Robert’s experiences?
Warm-Up Activity
With other students, talk about what you think Ana and Robert
should do and why.
650 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
(l)Think Stock/Getty Images, (r)CORBIS
UNIT 6 WARM-UP
You and the Big Question
Reading different stories and poems will help you figure out your
own answer to the Big Question.
Plan for the Unit Challenge
At the end of the unit, you’ll use notes from all your reading to
complete the Unit Challenge. The Challenge will help you explore
your answer to the Big Question.
Big Question Link to Web
resources to further explore
the Big Question at www
.glencoe.com.
You will choose one of the following activities:
A. Sharing-Stories Reading List You’ll work with classmates to make a list of
stories you think other students your age would enjoy.
B. Story Review You’ll choose a story you’ve read and explain why you think it
is or is not worth sharing.
• Start thinking about which activity you’d like to do so that you can focus your
thinking as you go through the unit.
• In your Learner’s Notebook, write about which you like better—working by
yourself or working with other students. That may help you decide which activity you’d like to do.
• Remember to take notes about possible answers to the Big Question.
Your notes will help you do the Unit Challenge activity you choose.
Keep Track of Your Ideas
As you read, you’ll make notes about the Big Question. Later, you’ll use
these notes to complete the Unit Challenge. See page R8 for help with
making Foldable 6. This diagram shows how one side of it should look.
1. Use this Foldable for all of the selections in
this unit. Label each “tab” with a title. (See
page 649 for the titles.) You should be able
to see all the titles without opening the
Foldable.
2. Below each title, write My Purpose for
Reading.
3. Further below each title, a third of
the way down the page, write the
label The Big Question.
Warm-Up 651
UNIT 6 GENRE FOCUS: FOLKTALE
A folktale is a story that was told by generations of storytellers before it
was ever written down. We don’t know the names of all those storytellers.
Some were professionals who told tales as entertainment. Some were teachers who used folktales to teach important lessons. Some were mothers and
fathers who told stories to their children, just as parents still do.
Skillss Focus
• Keyy skills for reading
fol
olktales
ol
•K
Key literary elements of
folktales
SSkills Model
You will see how to use the
key reading skills and literary
elements as you read
• Brer Rabbit and Brer Lion,
p. 654
Folktales belong to a category called folklore. This more general term
includes songs, speeches, sayings, and even jokes. In this unit, you’ll read
several forms of folklore.
• Trickster tale—a story in which a character, often an animal, outsmarts
an enemy. An example of a trickster character is Brer Rabbit in the story
you’ll read next.
• Origin story—a story about the origins, or beginnings, of something in
nature. In this unit, a story from Africa tells why the hyena has oddly long
hairs growing on its back. Other origin stories explain such things as how
tigers got their stripes and why the sky is blue.
• Fairy tale—a story with magical beings who change the lives of ordinary
people. The stories of Cinderella and Snow White—and their fairy godmothers—are fairy tales. One story in this unit features a magical being
who is definitely not Cinderella’s fairy godmother.
• Tall tale—a fantasy story about an amazing, larger-than-life person. At the
end of this unit, you’ll read one of the many American tall tales told
about Paul Bunyan.
• Legend—a story about an amazing event or a hero’s amazing accomplishment. Some legends are about people who actually lived, but over the
years their reputations grew “larger than life.”
• Myth—a story about gods and goddesses and how they were involved in
making things the way they are. Characters from ancient myths were
featured in two popular TV series in the 1990s—Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess.
Two main things make all of these different forms alike. First, they were
passed down over many generations. Second, they still help members of a
culture to stay connected to one another.
Objectives
(pp. 652–655)
Reading Understand cause and
effect • Monitor comprehension:
ask questions • Make predictions
• Analyze text
Literature Identify literary elements: theme, character, cultural
context, dialect
Why Read Folktales?
Folktales are fun to read. The characters in them can make you smile and
laugh, but they can also make you stop and think. Folktales may also bring
back good memories. They’re the kinds of stories you heard and read when
you were little. Maybe most important of all, reading folktales can help you
understand why people share stories.
652 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
UNIT 6 GENRE FOCUS
How to Read Folktales
Key Reading Skills
These key reading skills are especially useful tools for reading and understanding folktales. You’ll learn more about these skills later in the unit.
■ Understanding Cause and Effect As you read, look for causes—the
reasons why things happen—and for effects—the things that happen as a
result. (See Reading Workshop 1.)
■ Questioning To make sure you understand what you’re reading, ask
yourself questions while you read. (See Reading Workshop 2.)
■ Predicting Guess what will happen next in a story to help yourself get
more involved in what you’re reading. (See Reading Workshop 3.)
■ Analyzing To understand a text better, think about its parts and how
they work together to make meaning. (See Reading Workshop 4.)
Key Literary Elements
Recognizing and thinking about the following literary elements will help you
understand a text more fully.
■ Theme: the main idea, or message, of a story, poem, novel, or play.
Sometimes this idea is stated directly. More often it’s revealed gradually
through plot, character, setting, and other elements. (See “The Lion, the
Hare, and the Hyena.”)
■ Character: a person or animal in a story. (If a character is an animal, it
displays human qualities and behaviors.) Characterization is the methods
a writer uses to develop a character’s personality. (See “Jeremiah’s Song.”)
■ Cultural allusions: a reference to something that has special importance or meaning for a particular group of people. (See “We Are
All One.”)
■ Dialect: a variation of a language spoken by a particular group of people, usually within a certain region. In a dialect, words may have different
pronunciations, forms, and meanings than the same words have in the
standard language. (See “Voices—and Stories—from the Past.”)
Genre Focus: Folktale 653
UNIT 6 GENRE FOCUS
The notes in the side columns model
how to use the skills and elements
you read about on pages 652–653.
Folktale
ACTIVE READING MODEL
retold by Julius Lester
B
rer Rabbit was in the woods one afternoon when a
great wind came up. It blew on the ground and it blew in
the tops of the trees. It blew so hard that Brer Rabbit was
afraid a tree might fall on him, and he started running. 1
He was trucking through the woods when he ran
smack into Brer Lion. Now, don’t come telling me ain’t no
lions in the United States. Ain’t none here now. But back
in yonder times, all the animals lived everywhere. The
lions and tigers and elephants and foxes and what ’nall
run around with each other like they was family. So
that’s how come wasn’t unusual for Brer Rabbit to run up
on Brer Lion like he done that day. 2 3
“What’s your hurry, Brer Rabbit?”
“Run, Brer Lion! There’s a hurricane coming.”
Brer Lion got scared. “I’m too heavy to run, Brer Rabbit.
What am I going to do?”
“Lay down, Brer Lion. Lay down! Get close to the
ground!”
Brer Lion shook his head. “The wind might pick me up
and blow me away.”
“Hug a tree, Brer Lion! Hug a tree!”
“But what if the wind blows all day and into the night?”
“Let me tie you to the tree, Brer Lion. Let me tie you to
the tree.” 4
654 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
1 Key Reading Skill
Predicting I wonder what will
happen next. It says the wind is
blowing hard, so maybe a tree
really will fall on Brer Rabbit.
2 Key Reading Skill
Questioning I don’t understand
what “trucking” means here. Is
Brer Rabbit driving a truck? I’ll
read on to see if I can answer
my own question.
3 Key Literary Element
Dialect, Character, and Cultural
Context The storyteller speaks
in a dialect. We learned in
school that Brer Rabbit is in lots
of African American folktales. So
the dialect and culture must be
old-time African American.
4 Key Reading Skill
Understanding Cause and
Effect The strong winds are the
cause, and the effect is Brer
Lion’s fear.
UNIT 6 GENRE FOCUS
Emma’s Lion, 1994.
Christian Pierre, Acrylic
on Masonite, 16 x 20 in.,
Private collection.
Brer Lion liked that idea. Brer Rabbit tied him to the
tree and sat down next to it. After a while, Brer Lion got
tired of hugging the tree.
“Brer Rabbit? I don’t hear no hurricane.”
Brer Rabbit listened. “Neither do I.”
“Brer Rabbit? I don’t hear no wind.”
Brer Rabbit listened. “Neither do I.”
“Brer Rabbit? Ain’t a leaf moving in the trees.”
Brer Rabbit looked up. “Sho’ ain’t.”
“So untie me.”
“I’m afraid to, Brer Lion.” 5
Brer Lion began to roar. He roared so loud and so long,
the foundations of the Earth started shaking. Least that’s
what it seemed like, and the other animals came from all
over to see what was going on.
When they got close, Brer Rabbit jumped up and began
strutting around the tied-up Brer Lion. When the animals
saw what Brer Rabbit had done to Brer Lion, you’d better
believe it was the forty-eleventh of Octorerarry before
they messed with him again. 6 ❍
Folktale
ACTIVE READING MODEL
5 Key Reading Skill
Analyzing Brer Rabbit is
afraid he’ll be killed if he
unties Brer Lion!
6 Key Literary Element
Theme Brer Rabbit gets
everyone’s respect by outsmarting Brer Lion. So
maybe the main message
of this story is that being
smart is better than
being big and strong.
Write to Learn You can learn a great deal through the dialogue in a
story. Write a paragraph explaining what you learned about the main
characters from the dialogue in this folktale.
Study Central Visit www.glencoe.com and click on Study Central
to review folktales.
Genre Focus: Folktale 655
Christian Pierre/SuperStock
READING WORKSHOP 1
Skills Focus
You will practice using these skills when you
read the following selections:
• “The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena,” p. 660
• “Charles,” p. 668
Reading
• Understanding cause and
effect
Literature
• Identifying the theme of a
selection
Vocabulary
• Understanding and using
idioms and slang
Writing/Grammar
• Identifying direct and
indirect objects
Skill Lesson
Understanding
Cause and Effect
Learn It!
What Is It? Understanding the reason things happen is a big part of what human beings do. We want
to know “why.” Why is the sky blue? Why does water
run downhill? These are the simple beginnings of all
the complicated science we know today. We are
always looking for the cause of things.
• A cause is a person, event, or condition that makes
something happen.
• What happens as a result is an effect.
You will find cause and effect relationships in just
about everything you read. That’s because cause
and effect is everywhere in life. And writers also use
cause and effect to organize information for you,
especially in social studies and science reading.
rights reserved.
RSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. All
Reprinted with Permission of UNIVE
BALDO © 2000 Baldo Partnership.
Analyzing Cartoons
Objectives (pp. 656–657)
Reading Understand cause
and effect
656 UNIT 6
Universal Press Syndicate
Chewing gum while practicing soccer
(cause) can lead to trouble (effect). Words
and phrases like if/then, therefore, and as
a result signal cause and effect. Sometimes
“Now I know why” signals it, too.
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
Why Is It Important? As you read, you often ask, “Why?” You need to
be able to recognize when the author is giving you the answer. That applies
to big questions: Why is there suffering in the world? It also applies to
smaller questions: Why did the main character in this story tell a lie?
Remember that one cause may have many effects. When someone drops a
match in a forest, there are millions of effects. And one effect may have
many causes. The causes of winning a race include being healthy, trying
your best, and so forth.
Study Central Visit www.glencoe
.com and click on Study Central to
review understanding cause and
effect.
How Do I Do It? First, keep asking “Why?” Then, look for signal words
that help you know that your question is being answered, words like
because, so, so that, if . . . then, and as a result of. These signal words
are often there when you’re looking for a cause. When they’re not, your
“why” question will give you a start. Here’s how one student identified
cause and effect in ”The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena.”
Simba had hurt his leg so badly that he was unable
to provide food for himself. Sunguru the Hare
happened to be passing his cave one day. Looking
inside, Sunguru realized that the lion was starving.
How can a big lion like Simba starve? Guess there must
be a reason. Ok, it said he hurt his leg and couldn’t get
food. That means he can’t hunt. So the cause is his leg is
hurt so bad that he can’t hunt, therefore he’s starving.
That’s the effect of the hurt leg.
Practice It!
Look at the sentences below. See if you can identify the cause and the
effect in each one.
• Hal ate too many cookies, so he got sick.
• Water runs downhill because of gravity.
• The wind blew so hard that my hat went flying.
Use It!
As you read “The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena” and “Charles,”
take notes on the characters, what they do, and the situations each
of them are in. This will help you to identify the cause-and-effect
relationships.
Reading Workshop 1 Understanding Cause and Effect 657
Getty Images
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
Before You Read
Meet the Author
Phyllis Savory has written
and edited tales that have
strong African influences. By
recording ancient tales told
from generation to generation, she helps readers young
and old discover delightful
and enchanting worlds.
Author Search For more
about Phyllis Savory, go to
www.glenocoe.com.
The Lion, the Hare, and
the Hyena
Vocabulary Preview
solitude (SOL uh tood) n. the state of being alone (p. 660) The lion
enjoyed his solitude.
accumulate (uh KYOO myuh layt) v. to increase gradually in quantity or
number (p. 660) The hyena wanted the delicious bones that had begun
to accumulate.
conspicuous (kun SPIK yoo us) adj. quite noticeable (p. 662) The lion’s
absence was very conspicuous.
Definition Trade-Off With a partner or small group, take turns calling
out a vocabulary word and having the partner give the definition, or call
out the definition and have the partner give the word.
English Language Coach
Idioms An idiom (ID ee um) is a word or phrase that has a special meaning. Every language has idioms, and they can cause problems for someone
who hasn’t heard them before or for someone who didn’t grow up speaking the language. Often, the problem can be solved quickly because many
idioms make sense if you think about them.
Even if an idiom is unfamiliar, you can often figure out what it means. “I
can’t talk; I’m all tied up” would probably make sense to someone who’d
never heard the expression. So would “I think I bit off more than I can
chew.” These expressions are figurative. That is, they communicate an idea
that is not the the literal (actual and ordinary) meaning of the words. Still,
the ideas they communicate are clear.
Some idioms, though, you just have to know. If you’d never heard “shoot
the breeze,” how would you know what “They were shooting the breeze
on the front porch” meant? You wouldn’t. All you could do would be to try
to figure it out from the context, check shoot or breeze in the dictionary
(sometimes idioms are listed), or ask someone.
Objectives (pp. 658–663)
Reading Understand cause and effect
• Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
theme
Vocabulary Understand idioms
Group Talk With a small group, discuss what the following idioms mean.
If you don’t know them, try to figure out what they might mean.
1. Maybe you should leave well enough alone.
2. I don’t think she’s playing with a full deck.
3. Try to keep your chin up.
658 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
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READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
Skills Preview
Get Ready to Read
Key Reading Skill: Understanding
Cause and Effect
Connect to the Reading
In a story, cause and effect relationships are important
for many reasons. One of the most important is that
they move the story along. They are part of the plot.
This event happens, causing that event to happen,
which then causes another event to happen. The plot
is a kind of chain reaction, a series of causes and
events. As you read “The Lion, the Hare, and the
Hyena,” notice the people, events, and conditions that
cause other things to happen.
Key Literary Element: Theme
The theme of a story is the message that the writer
most wants to communicate. It is the main idea of
the story.
Origin stories, such as “The Lion, the Hare, and the
Hyena,” always include an explanation of something
in nature. That provides the basic plot of the story.
“Why is this the way it is?” “Because this happened.”
Such stories have a cause and effect structure.
But the structure is not the theme. Origin stories deal
with another kind of “truth” about nature and human
life. Doing the following while you read will help you
understand the theme:
• Look at the good and bad things the characters do.
• Watch for who wins and who loses and why.
• Does someone get punished? Why?
• Does someone learn a lesson? What is it?
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook
To review or learn more about the literary
elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
How would you feel if you were all alone and so sick
that you couldn’t do the things you needed to do?
Who would you trust to come into your home and
help you? Is there anyone you feel you could not
trust? Why?
Think-Pair-Share Discuss what friends do to help
each other in times of need. What would you do to
help a friend? How can you tell if a person is a true
friend?
Build Background
“The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena” is a folktale
from Kenya.
• In this folktale, you’ll read about animals that
possess human traits.
• One animal is greatly respected.
• One animal is looked down on and hated and
must resort to trickery to get what he wants.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read “The Lion, the Hare, and
the Hyena” to find out how origin stories work and
why people tell them.
Set Your Own Purpose What would you like to
learn from the selection to help you answer the Big
Question? Write your own purpose on the “Lion, the
Hare, and the Hyena” page of Foldable 6.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena 659
READING WORKSHOP 1
Retold by Phyllis Savory
A
lion named Simba once lived alone in a cave. In his
younger days the solitude had not worried him, but not very
long before this tale begins he had hurt his leg so badly that
he was unable to provide food for himself. Eventually he
began to realize that companionship had its advantages.
Things would have gone very badly for him, had not
Sunguru the Hare happened to be passing his cave one day.
Looking inside, Sunguru realized that the lion was starving.
He set about at once caring for his sick friend and seeing to
his comfort.
Under the hare’s careful nursing, Simba gradually regained
his strength until finally he was well enough to catch small
game for the two of them to eat. Soon quite a large pile of
bones began to accumulate outside the entrance to the lion’s
cave. 1
1
Key Reading Skill
Understanding Cause and
Effect How did the hare come
to live with the lion?
Vocabulary
solitude (SOL uh tood) n. the state of being alone
accumulate (uh KYOO myuh layt) v. to increase gradually in quantity or number
660 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
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READING WORKSHOP 1
One day Nyangau the Hyena, while sniffing around in the
hope of scrounging something for his supper, caught the
appetizing smell of marrow-bones.1 His nose led him to
Simba’s cave, but as the bones could be seen clearly from
inside he could not steal them with safety. Being a cowardly
fellow, like the rest of his kind, he decided that the only way
to gain possession of the tasty morsels would be to make
friends with Simba. He therefore crept up to the entrance of
the cave and gave a cough.
“Who makes the evening hideous with his dreadful
croakings?” demanded the lion, rising to his feet and
preparing to investigate the noise.
“It is I, your friend, Nyangau,” faltered2 the hyena, losing
what little courage he possessed. “I have come to tell you how
sadly you have been missed by the animals, and how greatly
we are looking forward to your early return to good health!” 2
“Well, get out,” growled the lion, “for it seems to me that a
friend would have inquired about my health long before this,
instead of waiting until I could be of use to him once more.
Get out, I say!”
Practice the Skills
2
Key Literary Element
Theme Why is Nyangau pretending to be Simba’s friend?
Is he behaving the way a real
friend would? Could his actions
be a clue to the theme?
Moonlight Studios
1. To scrounge is to get by finding, begging, borrowing, or stealing. Marrow is the soft substance
found in the hollow centers of most bones.
2. When Nyangau faltered, he spoke brokenly or weakly because of fear.
The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena 661
READING WORKSHOP 1
The hyena shuffled off with alacrity, his scruffy tail tucked
between his bandy legs, followed by the insulting giggles of
the hare. But he could not forget the pile of tempting bones
outside the entrance to the lion’s cave.
“I shall try again,” resolved the thick-skinned hyena. A
few days later he made a point of paying his visit while the
hare was away fetching water to cook the evening meal. 3
He found the lion dozing at the entrance to his cave.
“Friend,” simpered Nyangau, “I am led to believe that the
wound on your leg is making poor progress, due to the
underhanded treatment that you are receiving from your socalled friend Sunguru.”
“What do you mean?” snarled the lion malevolently.3 “I
have to thank Sunguru that I did not starve to death during
the worst of my illness, while you and your companions were
conspicuous by your absence!”
“Nevertheless, what I have told you is true,” confided the
hyena. “It is well known throughout the countryside that
Sunguru is purposely giving you the wrong treatment for
your wound to prevent your recovery. For when you are well,
he will lose his position as your housekeeper—a very
comfortable living for him, to be sure! Let me warn you, good
friend, that Sunguru is not acting in your best interests!” 4
At that moment the hare returned from
the river with his gourd filled with water.
“Well,” he said, addressing the hyena as he
put down his load, “I did not expect to see
you here after your hasty and inglorious
Visual Vocabulary
A gourd is a harddeparture from our presence the other day.
rinded inedible fruit
Tell me, what do you want this time?”
that’s sometimes
Simba turned to the hare. “I have been
used as a utensil.
listening,” he said, “to Nyangau’s tales
about you. He tells me that you are renowned throughout the
countryside for your skill and cunning4 as a doctor. He also
tells me that the medicines you prescribe are without rival.
3. To say or act with hatred is to do so malevolently.
4. To be renowned is to be famous. Here, cunning means “skillful in the use of resources.”
Vocabulary
conspicuous (kun SPIK yoo us) adj. quite noticeable
662 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Siede Preis/Getty Images
Practice the Skills
3
English Language Coach
Idiom From the context of the
sentence, can you figure out
what thick-skinned means?
Thick skin protects an animal
so harmful things don’t get
through. What didn’t “get
through” to the hyena?
4
Key Literary Element
Theme What was Sunguru willing to do to earn Simba’s friendship? How did Nyangau expect to
get it? Do these motives give you
a clue about the theme?
READING WORKSHOP 1
Moonlight Studios
But he insists that you could have cured the wound on my leg
a long time ago, had it been in your interest to do so. Is this
true?”
Sunguru thought for a moment. He knew that he had to
treat this situation with care, for he had a strong suspicion
that Nyangau was trying to trick him. 5
“Well,” he answered with hesitation, “yes, and no. You see,
I am only a very small animal, and sometimes the medicines
that I require are very big, and I am unable to procure5
them—as, for instance, in your case, good Simba.”
“What do you mean?” spluttered the lion, sitting up and at
once showing interest.
“Just this,” replied the hare. “I need a piece of skin from the
back of a full-grown hyena to place on your wound before it
will be completely healed.”
Hearing this, the lion sprang onto Nyangau before the
surprised creature had time to get away. Tearing a strip of
skin off the foolish fellow’s back from his head to his tail, he
clapped it on the wound on his leg. As the skin came away
from the hyena’s back, so the hairs that remained stretched
and stood on end. To this day Nyangau and his kind still
have long, coarse hairs standing up on the crests of their
misshapen bodies. 6
Sunguru’s fame as a doctor spread far and wide after this
episode, for the wound on Simba’s leg healed without further
trouble. But it was many weeks before the hyena had the
courage to show himself in public again. 7 ❍
Practice the Skills
5
Key Literary Element
Theme Using what you know
about the characters and the plot
of this story, what would you say
the implied theme is?
6
Key Reading Skill
Understanding Cause and
Effect What thing in nature has
this origin story tried to explain?
According to the story, what
was the cause and what was the
effect?
7
Why do you think cultures all
around the world have created
origin stories? Write your answer
on the “Lion, the Hare, and the
Hyena” page of Foldable 6. Your
response will help you complete
the Unit Challenge later.
5. Procure means “to get or gain possession of.”
The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena 663
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
After You Read
The Lion, the Hare, and
the Hyena
Answering the
1. Now that you’ve read this folktale, what are some stories that you’ve
heard in your own family that you would like to continue to tell?
2. Recall Why was Simba starving at the beginning of the story?
T IP Right There
Critical Thinking
3. Interpret “The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena” teaches a lesson. What
do you think that lesson is?
T IP Author and Me
Moonlight Studios
4. Infer What would have happened to Simba the Lion had Sunguru the
Hare not come along?
T IP Author and Me
5. Interpret Were Nyangau’s claims that he was Simba’s friend honest?
Explain.
T IP Think and Search
6. Interpret What saved the situation for Sunguru?
T IP Author and Me
Write About Your Reading
Use the RAFT system to write about “The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena.”
Role: Simba the Lion
Objectives (pp. 664–665)
Reading Understand cause and effect
Literature Identify literary elements:
theme
Vocabulary Understand idioms
Writing Use the RAFT system: letter to the
editor
Grammar Identify direct objects
Audience: Newspaper readers
Format: Letter to the editor
Topic: Animals in the forest have been saying that Simba was wrong to
tear a strip off Nyangau. Write a letter from Simba defending what he did.
664 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Understanding
Cause and Effect
In each of the following sentences from the story, the
underlined words state an effect. Explain what you
think the cause is.
7. “In his younger days the solitude had not worried
him, but not very long before this tale begins he
had hurt his leg so badly that he was unable to
provide food for himself.”
8. “His nose led him to Simba’s cave, but as the
bones could be seen clearly from inside he could
not steal them with safety.”
9. “Sunguru’s fame as a doctor spread far and wide
after this episode, for the wound on Simba’s leg
healed without further trouble.”
Key Literary Element: Theme
17. But I was on pins and needles all day. I was very
nervous about my test grade.
18. When I got my test paper back, I was on cloud
nine! I was so happy I passed.
Grammar Link: Identifying
Direct Objects
Some verbs just aren’t complete without an object.
You know that a sentence requires a subject and a
verb, but look at this sentence:
• Kayla threw.
To complete the thought (and the sentence), you
need to say what Kayla threw.
• Kayla threw the ball.
In that sentence, ball is the direct object of the verb.
It answers the question “What or whom?”
10. Who was successful in this story, the good friend
or the bad friend? What does this tell you about
the theme of the story?
There can be more than one direct object in a
sentence.
• Kayla threw the ball and the glove.
Vocabulary Check
A direct object can have modifiers, just as a subject or
verb can.
• I baked a big cake with pink frosting.
Write the vocabulary word that best matches each
synonym below. Two words will be used twice.
11. increase
14. aloneness
12. visible
15. noticeable
13. gather
English Language Coach Use the context clues in
each sentence to help you figure out the meaning of
the idioms.
16. English is very easy for my friend Aricelli. She
thought the test was a piece of cake.
Grammar Practice
Identify the direct objects in the following sentences.
Write your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
19. Dad served cabbage for dinner.
20. The falling tree smashed my bicycle.
21. Marc knows the names of all the presidents.
22. Peter told the story very well.
Writing Application Look back at the Write About
Your Reading assignment to see if you used any direct
objects.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
The Lion, the Hare, and the Hyena 665
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
Before You Read
Charles
Vocabulary Preview
S h ir
le y Ja ck so n
Meet the Author
Shirley Jackson’s fiction is
filled with strange twists and
turns. In most of her novels
and short stories, she
explores the darker side of
human life. However,
Jackson also wrote humorously about family life, as
she does in “Charles.”
Jackson was born in 1919
and died in 1965. See page
R4 of the Author Files for
more on Shirley Jackson.
Author Search For more
about Shirley Jackson, go to
www.glencoe.com.
raucous (RAW kus) adj. loud and rough sounding (p. 668) Laurie’s voice
was sounding more and more raucous every day.
insolently (IN suh lunt lee) adv. in a boldly rude manner (p. 668) He
began to speak insolently to his parents.
simultaneously (sy mul TAY nee us lee) adv. at the same time (p. 670)
Laurie’s parents simultaneously decided they had to do something.
reformation (reh fur MAY shun) n. a change for the better; improvement
(p. 671) It was clear that Laurie’s behavior needed reformation.
cynically (SIN uh kul ee) adv. in a way that shows doubt or disbelief;
doubtfully (p. 671) His father cynically shook his head.
Vocabulary Concentration With a partner, copy the words onto one set
of index cards and the definitions onto another set. Mix the cards up and
place them face down on a desk or table. Take turns turning the cards over
two at a time. When you match a word and its definition, you may take the
pair. Write sentences with the words you have matched.
English Language Coach
Slang Slang is informal language that is appropriate for casual conversation but not for formal speech or writing. Some slang is widely understood.
Some, however, may be used and understood only by people within a certain social group.
Slang may use made-up words, such as mondo or mongo, meaning
“extremely.” Some, such as dis to mean disrespect, involves abbreviations.
Most slang, though, consists of common English words used with different
meanings.
Slang
down with
bail
Slang Meaning
in agreement with a plan
to leave or abandon
tight
emotionally close
Objectives (pp. 666–673)
Reading Understand cause and effect
• Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
theme
Vocabulary Understand slang
666 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Lawrence J. Hyman/courtesy Bantam Books
Example
Sure, I’m down with that.
I’m counting on you, so
don’t bail.
She’ll help me; we’re tight.
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
Skills Preview
Get Ready to Read
Key Reading Skill: Understanding
Cause and Effect
Connect to the Reading
Why do you hang out with certain people? You can
answer that a lot of different ways. Because they’re
my friends. Because I like them. Because we have a
good time together. Those are your reasons. When it
comes to characters in a story and their motives for
doing certain things, you can look at these reasons as
causes.
As you read “Charles,” use the following tips to help
you recognize cause and effect in both the plot and
the characters’ motivations:
• Look for each character’s reasons for doing what he
or she does.
• Look for signal words, such as why, because,
if . . . then, so that, and therefore.
• See what events cause the teacher to do certain
things in class.
Key Literary Element: Theme
Because the theme of a story is not always direct, you
must dig a little deeper to understand the main idea.
Laurie, his parents, and Charles are the main characters in “Charles.” As you read the selection, think
about each character.
• What are the characters doing?
• How are they feeling about the situation they are in?
• What happens at the end?
• How do the characters react to the ending? Who is
affected by the ending?
• What conclusions do you come to about the ending?
Keep these questions in mind as you try to determine
the theme.
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook
To review or learn more about the literary
elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
You have probably often heard just one person’s side
of a story and found out later that there was more to
the story than you knew. Think about a time when
that happened. Did hearing more of the story change
your mind about what happened?
Write to Learn In your Learner’s Notebook, freewrite about a time a friend or family member told you
only one side of a story.
Build Background
Children entering school must learn to get along with
each other, follow directions, and help with classroom
activities. In preschool and kindergarten, children
become accustomed to a school setting and learn to
play together. At least, that’s the plan. In “Charles,”
things don’t exactly follow the plan.
• Laurie, a kindergarten boy, takes delight in telling
his parents about school each day.
• His parents are shocked to hear Laurie’s descriptions of the horrible classroom behavior of a boy
named Charles.
• Seeing Charles as a bad influence on her son,
Laurie’s mother decides to speak to the other boy’s
parents.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read to find out why Laurie is
sharing stories about Charles.
Set Your Own Purpose What would you like to
learn from the selection to help you answer the Big
Question? Write your own purpose on the “Charles”
page of Foldable 6.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
Charles 667
READING WORKSHOP 1
by Shirley Jackson
T
he day my son Laurie started kindergarten he renounced1
corduroy overalls with bibs and began wearing blue jeans
with a belt; I watched him go off the first morning with the
older girl next door, seeing clearly that an era of my life was
ended, my sweet-voiced nursery-school tot replaced by a longtrousered, swaggering2 character who forgot to stop at the
corner and wave good-bye to me. 1
He came home the same way, the front door slamming
open, his cap on the floor, and the voice suddenly become
raucous shouting, “Isn’t anybody here?”
At lunch he spoke insolently to his father, spilled his baby
sister’s milk, and remarked that his teacher said we were not
to take the name of the Lord in vain.
“How was school today?” I asked, elaborately casual.
“All right,” he said.
“Did you learn anything?” his father asked.
1. When Laurie renounced overalls, he rejected or gave them up.
2. Swaggering means carrying oneself in a proud manner.
Vocabulary
raucous (RAW kus) adj. loud and rough sounding
insolently (IN suh lunt lee) adv. in a boldly rude manner
668 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Matt Meadows
Practice the Skills
1
Reviewing Skills
Connecting Do you remember
your first day at kindergarten?
How do you think your parents
felt that day?
READING WORKSHOP 1
Laurie regarded his father coldly. “I didn’t learn nothing,”
he said.
“Anything,” I said. “Didn’t learn anything.”
“The teacher spanked a boy, though,” Laurie said,
addressing his bread and butter. “For being fresh,” he added,
with his mouth full.
“What did he do?” I asked. “Who was it?”
Laurie thought. “It was Charles,” he said. “He was fresh.
The teacher spanked him and made him stand in a corner.
He was awfully fresh.” 2
“What did he do?” I asked again, but Laurie slid off his
chair, took a cookie, and left, while his father was still saying,
“See here, young man.”
The next day Laurie remarked at lunch, as soon as he sat
down, “Well, Charles was bad again today.” He grinned
enormously and said, “Today Charles hit the teacher.”
“Good heavens,” I said, mindful of the Lord’s name, “I
suppose he got spanked again?”
“He sure did,” Laurie said. “Look up,” he said to his father.
“What?” his father said, looking up.
“Look down,” Laurie said. “Look at my thumb. Gee, you’re
dumb.” He began to laugh insanely.
“Why did Charles hit the teacher?” I asked quickly.
“Because she tried to make him color with red crayons,”
Laurie said. “Charles wanted to color with green crayons so
he hit the teacher and she spanked him and said nobody play
with Charles but everybody did.” 3
The third day—it was Wednesday of the first week—
Charles bounced a see-saw on to the head of a little girl and
made her bleed, and the teacher made him stay inside all
during recess. Thursday Charles had to stand in a corner
during story-time because he kept pounding his feet on the
floor. Friday Charles was deprived of blackboard privileges
because he threw chalk.
On Saturday I remarked to my husband, “Do you think
kindergarten is too unsettling for Laurie? All this toughness,
and bad grammar, and this Charles boy sounds like such a
bad influence.”
“It’ll be all right,” my husband said reassuringly. “Bound to
be people like Charles in the world. Might as well meet them
now as later.”
Practice the Skills
2
Key Reading Skill
Understanding Cause and
Effect What made the teacher
spank Charles and put him in
a corner?
3
Key Reading Skill
Understanding Cause and
Effect The teacher told the class
not to play with Charles—but
they did. What effect do you
think this had on Charles?
Charles 669
READING WORKSHOP 1
On Monday Laurie came home late, full of news.
“Charles,” he shouted as he came up the hill; I was
waiting anxiously on the front steps. “Charles,” Laurie
yelled all the way up the hill, “Charles was bad again.”
“Come right in,” I said, as soon as he came close
enough. “Lunch is waiting.”
“You know what Charles did?” he demanded,
following me through the door. “Charles yelled so in
school they sent a boy in from first grade to tell the
teacher she had to make Charles keep quiet, and so
Charles had to stay after school. And so all the
children stayed to watch him.”
“What did he do?” I asked.
“He just sat there,” Laurie said, climbing into his
chair at the table. “Hi, Pop, y’old dust mop.” 4
“Charles had to stay after school today,” I told my husband.
“Everyone stayed with him.”
“What does this Charles look like?” my husband asked
Laurie. “What’s his other name?”
“He’s bigger than me,” Laurie said. “And he doesn’t have
any galoshes and he doesn’t ever wear a jacket.”
Monday night was the first Parent-Teachers meeting, and
only the fact that the baby had a cold kept me from going; I
wanted passionately to meet Charles’s mother. On Tuesday
Laurie remarked suddenly, “Our teacher had a friend come to
see her in school today.”
“Charles’s mother?” my husband and I asked simultaneously.
“Naaah,” Laurie said scornfully. “It was a man who came
and made us do exercises, we had to touch our toes. Look.”
He climbed down from his chair and squatted down and
touched his toes. “Like this,” he said. He got solemnly back
into his chair and said, picking up his fork, “Charles didn’t
even do exercises.”
“That’s fine,” I said heartily. “Didn’t Charles want to do
exercises?”
“Naaah,” Laurie said. “Charles was so fresh to the teacher’s
friend he wasn’t let do exercises.”
Vocabulary
simultaneously (sy mul TAY nee us lee) adv. at the same time
670 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Simon Watson/Getty Images
Practice the Skills
4
Reviewing Skills
Connecting This is the second
time Laurie has spoken rudely to
his father. Would you talk to your
parents like this? What effect
would it bring if you did?
READING WORKSHOP 1
“Fresh again?” I said.
“He kicked the teacher’s friend,” Laurie said. “The teacher’s
friend told Charles to touch his toes like I just did and
Charles kicked him.”
“What are they going to do about Charles, do you
suppose?” Laurie’s father asked him.
Laurie shrugged elaborately. “Throw him out of school, I
guess,” he said.
Wednesday and Thursday were routine; Charles yelled
during story hour and hit a boy in the stomach and made
him cry. On Friday Charles stayed after school again and so
did all the other children.
With the third week of kindergarten Charles was an
institution3 in our family; the baby was being a Charles when
she cried all afternoon; Laurie did a Charles when he filled
his wagon full of mud and pulled it through the kitchen; even
my husband, when he caught his elbow in the telephone cord
and pulled telephone, ashtray, and a bowl of flowers off the
table, said, after the first minute, “Looks like Charles.” 5
During the third and fourth weeks it looked like a
reformation in Charles; Laurie reported grimly at lunch on
Thursday of the third week, “Charles was so good today the
teacher gave him an apple.” 6
“What?” I said, and my husband added warily, “You mean
Charles?”
“Charles,” Laurie said. “He gave the crayons around and he
picked up the books afterward and the teacher said he was
her helper.”
“What happened?” I asked incredulously.
“He was her helper, that’s all,” Laurie said, and shrugged.
“Can this be true, about Charles?” I asked my husband that
night. “Can something like this happen?”
“Wait and see,” my husband said cynically. “When you’ve
got a Charles to deal with, this may mean he’s only plotting.4”
Practice the Skills
5
English Language Coach
Slang What does the name
Charles mean when Laurie’s
family uses it in the phrases
“being a Charles,” “did a
Charles,” and “looks like a
Charles”?
6
Key Reading Skill
Understanding Cause and
Effect How is Charles’s good
behavior being rewarded?
3. Here, institution means a “regular feature or tradition.”
4. Plotting means planning with evil intent.
Vocabulary
reformation (reh fur MAY shun) n. a change for the better; improvement
cynically (SIN uh kul ee) adv. in a way that shows doubt or disbelief; doubtfully
Charles 671
READING WORKSHOP 1
He seemed to be wrong. For over a week Charles was the
teacher’s helper; each day he handed things out and he
picked things up; no one had to stay after school.
“The P.T.A. meeting’s next week again,” I told my husband
one evening. “I’m going to find Charles’s mother there.”
“Ask her what happened to Charles,” my husband said. “I’d
like to know.”
“I’d like to know myself,” I said.
On Friday of that week things were back to normal. “You
know what Charles did today?” Laurie demanded at the
lunch table, in a voice slightly awed. “He told a little girl to
say a word and she said it and the teacher washed her mouth
out with soap and Charles laughed.”
“What word?” his father asked unwisely, and Laurie said,
“I’ll have to whisper it to you, it’s so bad.” He got down off
his chair and went around to his father. His father bent his
head down and Laurie whispered joyfully. His father’s eyes
widened. 7
“Did Charles tell the little girl to say that?” he asked
respectfully.
“She said it twice,” Laurie
said. “Charles told her to say it
twice.”
“What happened to
Charles?” my husband asked.
“Nothing,” Laurie said. “He
was passing out the crayons.”
Monday morning Charles
abandoned the little girl and
said the evil word himself
three or four times, getting his
mouth washed out with soap
each time. He also threw chalk.
My husband came to the
door with me that evening as I
set out for the P.T.A. meeting.
“Invite her over for a cup of tea
after the meeting,” he said. “I
want to get a look at her.”
“If only she’s there,” I said
prayerfully.
672 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Bridgeman Art Library
Practice the Skills
7
Reviewing Skills
Comparing and Contrasting
Compare Laurie’s behavior here
to Charles’s behavior, as Laurie
describes it.
Playground, Crook, P.J. (b. 1945).
Acrylic on canvas, 116.8 X 132 cm.
Private collection.
READING WORKSHOP 1
“She’ll be there,” my husband said.
“I don’t see how they could hold a P.T.A. meeting without
Charles’s mother.”
At the meeting I sat restlessly, scanning each comfortable
matronly5 face, trying to determine which one hid the secret
of Charles. None of them looked to me haggard6 enough. No
one stood up in the meeting and apologized for the way her
son had been acting. No one mentioned Charles.
After the meeting I identified and sought out Laurie’s
kindergarten teacher. She had a plate with a cup of tea and a
piece of chocolate cake; I had a plate with a cup of tea and a
piece of marshmallow cake. We maneuvered up to one
another cautiously, and smiled.
“I’ve been so anxious to meet you,” I said. “I’m Laurie’s
mother.”
“We’re all so interested in Laurie,” she said.
“Well, he certainly likes kindergarten,” I said. “He talks
about it all the time.”
“We had a little trouble adjusting, the first week or so,” she
said primly, “but now he’s a fine little helper. With occasional
lapses,7 of course.”
“Laurie usually adjusts very quickly,” I said. “I suppose this
time it’s Charles’s influence.”
“Charles?”
“Yes,” I said, laughing, “you must have your hands full in
that kindergarten, with Charles.”
“Charles?” she said. “We don’t have any Charles in the
kindergarten.” 8 9 ❍
Practice the Skills
8
Key Literary Element
Theme What does this story
suggest about human nature?
9
Why do you think Laurie told
stories about a boy who didn’t
exist? Write your answer on the
“Charles” page of Foldable 6.
Your response will help you complete the Unit Challenge later.
5. Another word for matronly would be “motherly.” It refers to a mature woman, especially one
who is married and has children.
6. A haggard person looks worn out as a result of grief, worry, illness—or dealing with a boy like
Charles.
7. A lapse is a slipping or falling to a lower or worse condition.
Charles 673
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
After You Read
Charles
Answering the
1. Why do you think Laurie tells stories about Charles?
2. Recall How does Laurie report Charles’s good behavior and Charles’s
bad behavior?
T IP Think and Search
Critical Thinking
3. Interpret Why is Charles such a fascination in Laurie’s home?
T IP Author and Me
4. Infer Who is Charles?
T IP Author and Me
5. Synthesize What clues throughout the selection give you that
information?
T IP Think and Search
6. Evaluate Why do you think Laurie makes up all those stories?
T IP Author and Me
Write About Your Reading
Objectives (pp. 674–675)
Reading Understand cause and effect
Literature Identify literary elements:
theme
Vocabulary Understand slang
Writing Respond to literature: skit
Grammar Identify indirect objects
Write a skit about “Charles.” To get started, follow these steps:
Step 1: Think about which characters to include. Your choices will
depend on what you decide in Steps 2, 3, and 4.
Step 2: Decide whether the action will take place at Laurie’s home or
school.
Step 3: Decide on at least one cause and effect to show.
Step 4: Decide what will happen at the end.
Step 5: Write the skit.
Get some friends together to perform your skits for your class. (But behave.
Don’t do a Charles!)
674 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Matt Meadows
READING WORKSHOP 1 • Understanding Cause and Effect
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Understanding Cause
and Effect
7. Why do you think Laurie turns into a “swaggering
character” when he starts kindergarten? Explain
your answer. (Hint: Think about the fact that
Laurie suddenly finds himself in a new place with
new people and new rules.)
8. Identify two good or positive things that Charles
does and how he is rewarded.
Key Literary Element: Theme
9. What do you think is the theme of “Charles”?
Explain your answer using examples from the
story.
Reviewing Skills: Comparing and
Contrasting
10. Comparing and Contrasting Compare
Laurie’s behavior at home with Charles’s actions
at school. How are their behaviors similar? How
are they different?
Vocabulary Check
Choose one of the vocabulary words to fill in each of
the blanks in the sentences below.
raucous
cynically
insolently
simultaneously
reformation
.
11. “Hey, old man, get a horse!” Geri yelled
12. The sounds from the ape’s cage were so
it
sounded like a huge party!
13. The city council is dishonest and needs
.
14. “I’m sorry, John. I don’t believe you can do it,” he
said
.
15. “You’re it!” Mary and Lisa shouted
.
16. English Language Coach If a slang meaning
for a word is used by enough people for a long
enough period, it becomes a regular meaning.
For example, fresh meaning “disrespectful,” was
slang in the mid-1800s but is now found in dictionaries. The meaning “extremely nice or superior” is still slang.
Write down two slang words or phrases and their
meanings. Use each one in a sentence that illustrates its meaning.
Grammar: Identifying
Indirect Objects
Direct objects answer the question “what or whom?”
• Joel wrote a letter.
If a sentence contains a direct object, it may also contain an indirect object. An indirect object answers the
question “to what or whom?” or “for what or whom?”
It usually comes before the direct object.
• Joel wrote Leanne a letter.
• Maya left Missy a beautiful present.
It’s important to know that a word is only an indirect
object if the word to or for is not stated. If it is, then
you have a prepositional phrase. There are no indirect
objects in the following sentences.
• Joel wrote a letter to Leanne.
• Maya left a beautiful present for Missy.
Grammar Practice
Identify the indirect object in each sentence.
17. The rider gave the horse an apple.
18. Habib handed them flowers.
19. James made me dinner last night.
20. My cousin gave her dog a bath.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Charles 675
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 1
Modern Folktale
Prewriting and Drafting
ASSIGNMENT Rewrite a
folktale in the present
Purpose: To tell a story
using all of the elements
of a folktale
Audience: You, your
teacher, and your classmates
Writing Rubric
As you work through this
writing assignment, you
should
• develop characters
• write dialogue
• develop a theme
• use third-person point of
view
• use correct spelling, grammar, usage, and mechanics
Objectives (pp. 676–679)
Writing Use the writing process:
draft • Write a folktale • Use literary elements: point of view,
dialogue, characterization, theme
Grammar Use compound and
complex sentences
Folktales are organized like other stories, usually in time order. They also
have characters, a setting, a plot (created through conflict), and a theme, just
like other stories. But folktales have some special characteristics, too.
• Characters in folktales are often larger-than-life humans or animals that act
like humans.
• The setting is usually long ago and sometimes in a faraway or makebelieve place.
• Some folktales (specifically fairy tales) include magic. Other folktales have
unusual elements such as talking animals.
In this Writing Workshop, you’ll rewrite a folktale in the present (as if it were
taking place today).
Prewriting
Get Ready to Write
Before you start writing, you’ll have to decide what folktale you want to
rewrite and plan the changes you’ll make.
Choose a Story
You can choose one of the folktales in this unit or another folktale you know.
• Make a list of the folktales you already know. Remember, folktales include
many different kinds of stories—animal stories, origin stories, legends,
trickster tales, fairy tales, tall tales, and myths.
• Look over the folktales in this unit. If one interests you, go ahead and read
it. (You don’t have to wait for your teacher to tell you to read it!)
• Choose a story that you think would be fun to rewrite. You may want to
choose your favorite story, or you may want to choose a story you don’t
like and make it into a story you do like.
Think About the Story
Think carefully about the story elements of the folktale you’re going to
rewrite. If you’re rewriting a folktale that you don’t know very well, you may
want to read the story a few times.
Fill in a chart like the one on the next page to familiarize yourself with the
key parts of the story. Make your chart in your Learner’s Notebook.
676 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 1
Folktale
Brer Rabbit and Brer Lion
Setting
The woods, somewhere in the United States, a long
time ago
Characters
Brer Rabbit, Brer Lion, the other animals
Major Events
Brer Lion lets Brer Rabbit tie him to a tree so he
doesn’t get blown away by the hurricane. The storm
never comes, but Brer Rabbit refuses to untie the lion.
When Brer Lion roars, all of the other animals come
and see that little Brer Rabbit has tied up the powerful
lion.
Writing Models For models and
other writing activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Magical or
Talking animals
Unusual Element
Theme
If you are smart enough, you can beat others who are
more powerful.
Make a Plan
Since your story is a retelling, you’ll need to keep some of the details from
the original folktale. You may want to use the same characters, events,
theme, or even setting. But don’t keep everything the same! Add your own
flavor to the folktale.
Figure out the main changes you want to make to the folktale before you
start drafting your story.
1. Take another look at your notes about the original folktale. Ask yourself
questions like the ones below.
• Where else could these events take place?
• What would these characters be like in current times?
• What other events could teach the same theme or lesson?
2. Use a story map to pull the elements of your folktale together. You might
also want to make notes about any magic in your story.
Characters
Setting
Jack Rabbit—lost in a dream world
a city street in England
Dan D. Lion—nervous, easily scared
Plot
Jack bumps into Dan on the street while thinking about a breeze he felt.
Dan freaks out thinking that the breeze might have been a cyclone.
Jack ties Dan to a taxicab.
The taxi drives away, and Jack wanders on in his dream world.
Theme
Living in a dream world can cause problems in the real world.
Writing Tip
Characters Make some
notes about how each character might talk. Does he or she
use big words, speak with an
accent, drag out every word,
or speak only in questions?
It’s up to you. Characters’
dialogue is based on the
personality of the character
and your imagination.
Writing Workshop Part 1
Modern Folktale 677
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 1
Drafting
Start Writing!
Grab your favorite pen, pencil, or keyboard and some blank paper. It’s time
to start writing!
Tell the Tale
Imagine you are a storyteller relating the folktale to a live audience. Use
your story map to guide you. Be sure your story has these elements of effective folktales.
• Tellers of folktales are usually outside the story. Use the third-person point
of view to tell what happens. (Remember to refer to characters by name or
as he and she.)
Writing Tip
Ideas You may want to write
a few ideas for openers for
your folktale and see which
one would be most interesting
to your readers.
• Folktales usually get to the point quickly. The start of “Brer Rabbit and Brer
Lion” sets up the story: “Brer Rabbit was in the woods one afternoon
when a great wind came up.” You can also start right in with action, dialogue, or an interesting statement.
Dan D. Lion was never the same after he bumped into
Jack Rabbit.
• Develop your characters by providing details about them. What are they
thinking? How do they act? Your readers need to know.
But, in his imagination, it had been a very nice tea
party.
Writing Tip
Writer’s Craft Make your
folktale more interesting by
using words besides said to
set up the dialogue. Try using
more specific and descriptive
words such as whined, shouted,
giggled, and whispered.
• Dialogue reveals characters’ personality and can give clues about the setting. A character that asks “What shall I do? Where can I hide?” is fearful
and anxious. “Would hiding inside that telephone booth make you
jumpy?” suggests a street setting.
• Your folktale should have a theme, or main idea. In “Brer Rabbit and Brer
Lion,” the theme appears through the characters and events of the story.
Brer Rabbit struts around the tied-up Brer Lion to show off what he’s done.
If you prefer, you can reveal the theme directly.
The moral of the story is “Never get mixed up with
someone who lives in a dream world.”
678 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 1
Grammar Link
Compound and
Complex Sentences
Sentences are made up of independent clauses
(which can stand alone as sentences) and dependent clauses (which cannot stand alone).
Independent clause: The lion was big.
Independent clause: The rabbit was smart.
Dependent clause: though the lion was big
What Are Compound and
Complex Sentences?
A compound sentence is made up of two or
more independent clauses joined together.
The lion was big, but the rabbit was smart.
independent
independent
A complex sentence is made up of one independent clause and one or more dependent clauses
joined together.
Though the lion was big, the rabbit was smart.
dependent
independent
Simple, complex, and compound: Writing only
in simple sentences limits you. When every sentence has the same pattern, every sentence
sounds the same. The sentences get boring, and
the writing sounds choppy.
How Do I Use Compound and
Complex Sentences?
Use compound sentences to show that two ideas
that are equally important go together.
• The wind howled.
• The thunder roared.
• The wind howled, and the thunder roared.
Use complex sentences to show that two ideas
that are not equally important go together. Put the
main idea in the independent, or main, clause. Put
the less important idea in the dependent clause.
Main idea: The rabbit survived.
Less important idea: He was smart
• Because he was smart, the rabbit survived.
Write to Learn Read your draft aloud. Does it
sound choppy? Combine simple sentences to form
compound and complex sentences.
Why Are Compound and
Complex Sentences Important?
You need to use all the sentence types to write
well. Compare the two paragraphs below.
Simple sentences only: Writing only in simple
sentences limits you. Every sentence has the same
pattern. Every sentence sounds the same. The
sentences get boring. The writing sounds choppy.
Looking Ahead
In Writing Workshop Part 2, you’ll revise and edit your folktale.
Writing Workshop Part 1
Modern Folktale 679
READING WORKSHOP 2
Skills Focus
You will practice using these skills when you
read the following selections:
• “The Boy and His Grandfather,” p. 684
• “Jeremiah’s Song,” p. 690
Reading
Skill Lesson
Questioning
Learn It!
• Questioning
Literature
• Understanding what a
character is like
• Recognizing direct and
indirect characterization
Vocabulary
• Recognizing and understanding idioms
• Understanding “phrase
words”
What Is It? Questioning is asking questions about
what you are reading. Have a conversation with
yourself as you read by asking and trying to answer
questions about the text. Feel free to ask anything!
Ask about what you don’t understand. Ask about the
importance of what you’re reading. You might ask
yourself questions like these:
• Who are the people in the story?
• Why did a person act a certain way?
• What just happened and how does it relate to what
happened before?
Answer the questions in your head or on paper.
Writing/Grammar
• Combining sentences
ate, Inc.
Permission of King Features Syndic
©Zits Partnership, Reprinted with
Analyzing Cartoons
Objectives
(pp. 680–681)
Reading Ask questions
680 UNIT 6
King Features Syndicate
The girl’s question here isn’t a bad one;
it just shows she has more to learn.
Asking questions helps us get specific
information fast—and helps us figure
things out.
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
Why Is It Important? As you answer your own questions, you’re making sure you understand what is going on. There may be times when you’ll
need to re-read to get more information.
How Do I Do It? As you read, stop after every paragraph or two. Ask
yourself questions to make sure you understand what you’ve read so far.
Here’s how one student checked to make sure he understood what he was
reading. Read this passage from “Lafff” by Lensey Namioka.
He sat down on the stool and twisted a dial.
I heard some bleeps, cheeps, and gurgles. Peter
disappeared. He must have done it with mirrors.
I looked around the garage. I peeked under the
tool bench. There was no sign of him.
Study Central Visit www.glencoe
.com and click on Study Central to
review questioning.
I just read about Peter disappearing. I can ask myself
questions to check if I understood the paragraph.
What happened to Peter? He seemed to have actually
disappeared.
Why do I wonder if he really disappeared? I’ve never
seen a person disappear and don’t believe that it is possible. But the writer says Peter disappeared and that
there was no sign of him anywhere in the garage.
What do I know about Peter? Peter is very smart, gets
good grades, and spends all of his time reading books. He
called himself Dr. Lu Manchu, the mad scientist. Maybe,
in this story, he built a time machine.
Practice It!
Read the first two paragraphs of “The Boy and His Grandfather.” In your
Learner’s Notebook, write two questions about what you want to know.
You might start your questions with the words what or why.
Use It!
As you read “The Boy and His Grandfather” and “Jeremiah’s Song,”
remember to stop and ask yourself questions.
Reading Workshop 2 Questioning 681
John Evans
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
Before You Read
The Boy and His
Grandfather
Vocabulary Preview
neglected (nih GLEK tud) v. ignored; not cared for; form of the verb
neglect (p. 684) The grandfather was neglected by his family.
frequently (FREE kwunt lee) adv. often (p. 685) The father wanted to see
grandfather frequently.
R ud
o lf o A . A n a y a
Meet the Author
Rudolfo A. Anaya was one of
the founding fathers of modern Hispanic American literature. He has written fiction,
plays, and essays, mostly set
in his native New Mexico.
Anaya often weaves Hispanic
legends and folktales into his
work. See page R1 of the
Author Files for more on
Rudolfo A. Anaya.
Ask About It! For each vocabulary word, ask a partner a question that
uses the word correctly. Have your partner give you an answer that also
uses the word correctly.
English Language Coach
Words in Phrases You know about multiple-meaning words. But there
are some words that have too many meanings to learn. It’s easier to learn
the way these words are used in combination with other words.
In “The Boy and His Grandfather,” the narrator says that the grandfather
“went hungry.” That simply means that he was hungry for longer than just
a short while. The word went is a form of the verb go, and it’s one of several English words that are often used in phrases like this. Here are some
others:
get take make do have give set put
Author Search For more
about Rudolfo A. Anaya, go to
www.glencoe.com.
When you see these words, you should ignore the main meaning of the
verb. The grandfather, for example, did not “go” anywhere. The important
word in the phrase is the adjective: hungry.
Group Work Look at the phrases below. Then, as a group, talk about
other phrases in which you use these verbs.
• do dishes
• make progress
• get ready
• go crazy
Objectives (pp. 682-685)
Reading Ask questions • Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
characterization
Vocabulary Understand words in
phrases
682 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Miriam Berkley
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
Skills Preview
Get Ready to Read
Key Reading Skill: Questioning
Connect to the Reading
When you ask questions as you read, you are making
sure that you understand the selection. You are also
asking about what is important.
Have you ever heard of the Golden Rule? It says,
“Treat others the way you want be treated.” In other
words, don’t insult your friends if you do not want
them to insult you. As you read this story, think about
how you would have wanted to be treated if you were
the grandfather.
Ask Your Questions Write the heading I Want to
Know in your Learner’s Notebook. As you read the
story, write three questions about what you want to
know about a character, an event, or something you
don’t understand.
Partner Talk With a partner, make a list of the people who taught you how to treat others. What did they
teach you?
Literary Element: Characterization
A character is a person in a story. It could also be an
animal if the animal shows human behavior. Writers
use two ways to tell you about characters.
• Writers sometimes use direct characterization.
They tell you exactly what a character is like. They
might tell you directly, “Sam is sloppy.”
• Writers also use indirect characterization. They
show a character’s personality through his or her
words and actions and through what other characters think and say. The writer might indicate that
Sam leaves dirty clothes, food, and papers on the
floor in his room. Another character might say,
“Sam, how long since you cleaned your room?”
As you read, use these questions to help you learn
about characters:
• What does the writer tell you about the character?
• What does the character do that helps you learn
about his or her personality?
• What does the character say that helps you learn
about his or her personality?
• What do other characters say and think about the
character?
• Based on this, what is the character like?
Partner Talk Make up a character for a story about
a boy and his grandfather. Use your imagination! Tell
your partner something that character might do or say
and something that another character might say or
think about the character.
Build Background
• In cultures around the world, extended families live
together. An extended family may include grandparents, parents, children, and even aunts and
uncles all living together in one home.
• In many cultures, older people, such as the grandfather in this story, are greatly respected. Caring for
older family members is considered an important
responsibility, even an honor.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read about a boy and his
grandfather to decide why Anaya shares this story.
Set Your Own Purpose What would you like to
learn from the selection to help you answer the Big
Question? Write your own purpose on the “Boy and
His Grandfather” page of Foldable 6.
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To
review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
The Boy and His Grandfather 683
READING WORKSHOP 2
by Rudolfo A. Anaya
I
n the old days it was not unusual to find several
generations living together in one home. Usually, everyone
lived in peace and harmony, but this situation caused
problems for one man whose household included, besides his
wife and small son, his elderly father. 1
It so happened that the daughter-in-law took a dislike to
the old man. He was always in the way, she said, and she
insisted he be removed to a small room apart from the
house. 2
Because the old man was out of sight, he was often
neglected. Sometimes he even went hungry. They took poor
care of him, and in winter the old man often suffered from
the cold. One day the little grandson visited his grandfather.
“My little one,” the grandfather said, “go and find a blanket
and cover me. It is cold and I am freezing.”
The small boy ran to the barn to look for a blanket, and
Vocabulary
neglected (nih GLEK tud) v. ignored; not cared for
684 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
(inset)Kevin Fleming/CORBIS, (frame)Getty Images
Practice the Skills
1
Key Reading Skill
Questioning In this paragraph,
you learn that there are problems in the home that might
be important to the story. What
question could you ask about the
problems?
2
English Language Coach
Words in Phrases What does
the phrase took a dislike to
mean?
READING WORKSHOP 2
Practice the Skills
there he found a rug.
“Father, please cut this rug in half,” he asked his father.
“Why? What are you going to do with it?”
“I’m going to take it to my grandfather because he is cold.”
“Well, take the entire rug,” replied his father.
“No,” his son answered, “I cannot take it all. I want you to
cut it in half so I can save the other half for you when you are
as old as my grandfather. Then I will have it for you so you
will not be cold.”
His son’s response was enough to make the man realize
how poorly he had treated his own father. The man then
brought his father back into his home and ordered that a
warm room be prepared. From that time on he took care of
his father’s needs and visited him frequently every
day. 3 4 ❍
3
Literary Element
Characterization The writer
does not give direct characterization of the grandfather’s son
or grandson. You learn about
them from their actions. What
do you know about each from
his behavior?
4
Why is it important to pass
on stories like “The Boy and
His Grandfather”? Write your
answer on the “Boy and His
Grandfather” page of Foldable 6.
Your response will help you complete the Unit Challenge later.
Vocabulary
frequently (FREE kwunt lee) adv. often
The Boy and His Grandfather 685
Art Resource, NY
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
After You Read
The Boy and His
Grandfather
Answering the
1. This story tells an important lesson. What is that lesson? Why do you
think we use stories to teach such lessons?
2. Recall Why does the boy want his father to cut the rug in half?
T IP Right There
3. Summarize How does the father’s treatment of the grandfather
change during the story?
T IP Think and Search
Critical Thinking
4. Infer Why does the father change the way he treats his father?
T IP Author and Me
5. Infer What do you think the father realizes about what could happen
to him when he gets old?
T IP Author and Me
6. Evaluate Think about the way the father’s behavior toward the grandfather changes. Do you think the father becomes a better person?
Explain.
T IP Author and Me
7. Respond Did you like this story? Why or why not?
T IP Author and Me
8. Respond What is the main thing from this story that you will
remember? Explain your answer.
T IP Author and Me
Objectives (pp. 686–687)
Reading Ask questions • Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
characterization
Vocabulary Understand words in phrases
(delexicalized words)
Grammar Combine sentences
Write About Your Reading
Pretend you are the father in the story. Write a letter to your son.
• Explain why you treated your father poorly at first.
• Explain why your behavior was wrong.
• Tell what you learned from your son.
• Tell how you feel about your father.
686 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Kevin Fleming/CORBIS
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Questioning
9. Review the I Want to Know questions you wrote
in your Learner’s Notebook.
• How did asking questions help you figure out
what was important?
• How did asking questions help you understand
the story?
Literary Element: Characterization
10. What did the boy’s mother say and do about the
grandfather?
11. What opinions do you have about the mother
based on her actions?
Vocabulary Check
Write the correct answer to each question.
12. Does frequently mean often or hardly ever?
13. Which of the following would be described as
neglected: a well-loved book or a starving kitten?
14. English Language Coach Review the phrase
went hungry on page 684. Use it in a sentence.
What’s another way to say the same thing?
Grammar Link:
Combining Sentences
You can combine two simple sentences to make a
compound sentence. To do so, you use coordinating
conjunctions such as and, or, and but.
• Harry loved chocolate. It made him sick.
• Harry loved chocolate, but it make him sick.
You can also use coordinating conjunctions to combine two sentences in another way, if they have the
same subject. You can make them into a sentence with
a compound verb.
• Judith skated. Judith skied.
• Judith skated and skied.
You can do the same thing with two sentences that
have the same verb.
• Judith skated. Pam skated.
• Judith and Pam skated.
You can use correlative conjunctions to do this kind
of combining, too. Correlative conjunctions are pairs
of words that are used to connect compound parts of
sentences. They include both . . . and, either . . . or, and
neither . . . nor.
• Both Judith and Pam skated.
• Paul neither skated nor skied.
If you have two sentences that are not equal in importance, you can use a subordinating conjunction to
make one into a dependent clause. These conjunctions include after, although, as, before, until, and so
forth.
• Judith skated. Judith fell.
• Judith skated until she fell.
Grammar Practice
Combine each pair of sentences below, using and, or,
but, for, nor, or yet.
15. Carlos skated to the park. He practiced stunts.
16. I have a huge dog called Rascal. My friend Olivia
doesn’t like her.
17. The jeans didn’t fit. I returned them to the store.
Writing Application Look back at the letter you
wrote from the father in the story to his son. See if
you can find two sentences to combine, using a
conjunction.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
The Boy and His Grandfather 687
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
Before You Read
Jeremiah’s Song
Vocabulary Preview
Wa
lt e r D e a n M y e r s
Meet the Author
Walter Dean Myers grew up
loving stories—the ones his
father and grandfather told
him and the ones he read in
books. Myers says his own
stories mostly come from his
own life. “What I want to do
with my writing is to make
connections—to touch the
lives of my characters, and
through them, those of my
readers.” See page R5 of the
Author Files for more on
Walter Dean Myers.
Author Search For more about
Walter Dean Myers, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Objectives (pp. 688–699)
Reading Ask questions • Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
characterization
Vocabulary Understand dialect
worthwhile (wurth whyl) adj. having value or goodness; deserving one’s
efforts or attention (p. 691) Grandpa thought a college education was
probably worthwhile.
diagnosis (dy ug NOH sus) n. a doctor’s identification of a patient’s illness;
any expert’s finding of the nature of a problem (p. 693) The diagnosis
left little hope that he would fully recover.
setback (SET bak) n. an unexpected difficulty or stop in progress (p. 696)
Family members tried to keep Grandpa from getting too tired and having a setback.
Write to Learn For each vocabulary word, write a sentence using the
word correctly.
English Language Coach
Dialect In some parts of the United States, groups of people speak forms
of English called dialects. Dialects have pronunciations, word forms, and
meanings that are different from those in Standard English.
The characters in “Jeremiah’s Song” speak in a dialect. Read this sentence
from the story. Then look at how one reader has written the sentence in
Standard English.
Dialect
Standard English
Grandpa Jeremiah said they wasn’t
stories anyway, they was songs.
Grandpa Jeremiah said that they
were not stories, but that they
were songs.
Partner Talk With a partner, read these sentences from “Jeremiah’s
Song.” Then try to say them in Standard English.
1. I knowed my cousin Ellie was gonna be mad when Macon Smith came
around to the house.
2. She didn’t have no use for Macon even when things was going right.
3. Grandpa wasn’t getting no better, but he wasn’t getting no worse, either.
688 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Constance Myers
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
Skills Preview
Get Ready to Read
Key Reading Skill: Questioning
Connect to the Reading
Before you read “Jeremiah’s Song,” think about questions you might ask yourself to help you understand
what you are reading such as:
• Do I understand this part of the story?
• What causes this character to act this way?
• Why did the writer give this detail here?
Think about stories you remember hearing or reading
as a child. Which ones would you want to tell younger
children? Why? As you read, think about the stories
Grandpa Jeremiah tells and why he tells them.
Write to Learn Write down other questions that
you think of in your Learner’s Notebook. Refer to
these questions to help you read the story.
Key Literary Element: Character
Character Motivation A character’s motivation is the
reason he or she does something. For example, if a character’s friend suddenly becomes sick, he or she might be
motivated to spend a lot of time with that friend.
As you read, use these tips to help you learn about
character motivation:
• Ask yourself, Why does the character act this way?
You might need to “read between the lines,” or
make guesses, to answer the question.
• Think about why you might do the things the characters do.
Dynamic and Static Characters Some characters
stay the same during a story. Others change.
• Characters that change are called dynamic
characters. They might realize something new that
causes them to change the way they think or act.
For example, a mean character who learns an
important lesson might become kinder as a result.
• Characters that stay the same are called static
characters.
As you read, notice which characters change, which
ones stay the same, and what motivates them to
do so.
Partner Talk Think of a time when you learned a
lesson that changed you. What was the lesson? How
did you change? Tell your story to a partner.
Partner Talk With a partner, talk about the stories
you learned as a child. Were they read to you, or did
someone tell them to you?
Build Background
For many centuries, people in Africa passed down stories to family and friends. When enslaved Africans
were brought to the United States, they continued telling stories. Part of the reason for this was that they
were not allowed to learn how to read and write.
Some reasons for telling such stories might be
• to teach moral lessons
• to entertain friends and family
• to pass on a community or family history
Set Purposes for Reading
Read “Jeremiah’s Song” to learn
why Grandpa Jeremiah tells his stories.
Set Your Own Purpose What would you like to
learn from the selection to help you answer the Big
Question? Write your own purpose on the “Jeremiah’s
Song” page of Foldable 6.
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook To
review or learn more about the literary elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
Jeremiah’s Song 689
READING WORKSHOP 2
by Walter Dean Myers
I
knowed my cousin Ellie was gonna be mad when Macon
Smith come around to the house. She didn’t have no use for
Macon even when things was going right, and when Grandpa
Jeremiah was fixing to die I just knowed she wasn’t gonna be
liking him hanging around. Grandpa Jeremiah raised Ellie
after her folks died and they used to be real close. Then she
got to go on to college and when she come back the first year
she was different. She didn’t want to hear all them stories he
used to tell her anymore. Ellie said the stories wasn’t true,
and that’s why she didn’t want to hear them. 1
I didn’t know if they was true or not. Tell the truth I didn’t
think much on it either way, but I liked to hear them stories.
Grandpa Jeremiah said they wasn’t stories anyway, they was
songs. 2
“They the songs of my people,” he used to say.
I didn’t see how they was songs, not regular songs anyway.
Every little thing we did down in Curry seemed to matter to
Ellie that first summer she come home from college.1 You
couldn’t do nothin’ that was gonna please her. She didn’t even
come to church much. ‘Course she come on Sunday or
1. Curry is a town in central North Carolina. Ellie is studying in Greensboro, a city about 60 miles
north that has several colleges and universities.
690 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Practice the Skills
1
Key Reading Skill
Questioning Ask yourself
a question about a character
who was introduced in the first
paragraph of the story such as,
“Which character just came back
home from college?”
2
Key Literary Element
Character Readers learn that
Grandpa Jeremiah loves to tell
stories and that the narrator
likes to hear them. What do we
learn about Ellie’s opinions of the
stories? Why does she feel that
way?
READING WORKSHOP 2
everybody would have had a regular fit, but she didn’t come
on Thursday nights and she didn’t come on Saturday even
though she used to sing in the gospel choir.
“I guess they teachin’ her somethin’ worthwhile up there
at Greensboro,” Grandpa Jeremiah said to Sister Todd. “I sure
don’t see what it is, though.”
“You ain’t never had no book learning, Jeremiah,” Sister
Todd shot back. She wiped at where a trickle of sweat made a
little path through the white dusting powder she put on her
chest to keep cool. “Them old ways you got ain’t got nothing
for these young folks.” 3
“I guess you right,” Grandpa Jeremiah said.
He said it but I could see he didn’t like it none. He was a
big man with a big head and had most all his hair even if it
was white. All that summer, instead of sitting on
the porch telling stories like he used to when I
was real little, he would sit out there by himself
while Ellie stayed in the house and watched the
television or read a book. Sometimes I would
think about asking him to tell me one of them
stories he used to tell but they was too scary
now that I didn’t have nobody to sleep with but
myself. I asked Ellie to sleep with me but she
wouldn’t.
“You’re nine years old,” she said, sounding
real proper. “You’re old enough to sleep alone.”
I knew that. I just wanted her to sleep with me
because I liked sleeping with her. Before she
went off to college she used to put cocoa butter
on her arms and face and it would smell real
nice. When she come back from college she put
something else on, but that smelled nice too.
It was right after Ellie went back to school that
Grandpa Jeremiah had him a stroke2 and Macon
2. A stroke is a sudden attack of illness caused by a problem with blood circulation in the brain.
A stroke can cause brain damage that affects a person’s senses, speech, and ability to move.
Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body is common.
Practice the Skills
3
English Language Coach
Dialect In Sister Todd’s dialect,
book learning means “schooling.” How would you change
Sister Todd’s comment to
Grandpa Jeremiah into Standard
English?
Autumn Woes, 2000, Colin Bootman.
Oil on board, Private Collection.
Vocabulary
worthwhile (wurth whyl) adj. having value or goodness; deserving one’s efforts
or attention
Jeremiah’s Song 691
Bridgeman Art Library
READING WORKSHOP 2
started coming around. I think his mama probably made him
come at first, but you could see he liked it. Macon had always
been around, sitting over near the stuck window at church or
going on the blueberry truck when he went picking down at
Mister Gregory’s place. For a long time he was just another
kid, even though he was older’n me, but then, all of a sudden,
he growed something fierce. I used to be up to his shoulder
one time and then, before I could turn around good, I was
only up to his shirt pocket. He changed too. When he used to
just hang around with the other boys and play ball or shoot at
birds he would laugh a lot. He didn’t laugh so much anymore
and I figured he was just about grown. When Grandpa got
sick he used to come around and help out with things around
the house that was too hard for me to do. I mean, I could
have done all the chores, but it would just take me longer. 4
When the work for the day was finished and the sows fed,
Grandpa would kind of ease into one of his stories and
Macon, he would sit and listen to them and be real interested.
I didn’t mind listening to the stories when Grandpa told them
to Macon because he would be telling them in the middle of
the afternoon and they would be past my mind by the time I
had to go to bed.
Macon had an old guitar he used to mess with, too. He
wasn’t too bad on it, and sometimes Grandpa would tell him
to play a tune. He could play something he called “the Delta
692 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Jim Erickson/CORBIS
Practice the Skills
4
Key Literary Element
Character Name two things
you learn about Macon. Besides
helping out around the place,
what might be Macon’s possible
motivation for coming around?
READING WORKSHOP 2
Blues” real good, but when Sister Todd or somebody from the
church come around he’d play “Precious Lord” or “Just a
Closer Walk With Thee.” 5
Grandpa Jeremiah had been feeling poorly from that stroke,
and one of his legs got a little drag to it. Just about the time
Ellie come from school the next summer he was real sick. He
was breathing loud so you could hear it even in the next
room and he would stay in bed a lot even when there was
something that needed doing or fixing.
“I don’t think he’s going to make it much longer,” Dr.
Crawford said. “The only thing I can do is to give him
something for the pain.”
“Are you sure of your diagnosis?” Ellie asked. She was
sitting around the table with Sister Todd, Deacon Turner, and
his little skinny yellow wife. 6
Dr. Crawford looked at Ellie like he was surprised to hear
her talking. “Yes, I’m sure,” he said. “He had tests a few
weeks ago and his condition was bad then.”
“How much time he got?” Sister Todd asked.
“Maybe a week or two at best,” Dr. Crawford said.
When he said that, Deacon Turner’s wife started crying and
goin’ on and I give her a hard look but she just went on. I was
the one who loved Grandpa Jeremiah the most and she didn’t
hardly even know him so I didn’t see why she was crying.
Everybody started tiptoeing around the house after that.
They would go in and ask Grandpa Jeremiah if he was
comfortable and stuff like that or take him some food or a
cold glass of lemonade. Sister Todd come over and stayed
with us. Mostly what she did is make supper and do a lot of
praying, which was good because I figured that maybe God
would do something to make Grandpa Jeremiah well. When
she wasn’t doing that she was piecing on a fancy quilt she
was making for some white people in Wilmington.3
Ellie, she went around asking everybody how they felt
about Dr. Crawford and then she went into town and asked
Practice the Skills
5
Grandpa Jeremiah tells his
stories, while Macon sings and
plays on his guitar. Why do you
think people might tell their
stories in different ways? Write
your answer on the “Jeremiah’s
Song” page of Foldable 6. Your
response will help you complete
the Unit Challenge later.
6
English Language Coach
Dialect Does Ellie use her
family’s dialect or Standard
English here? Why do you think
she does so?
3. Sister Todd is sewing (piecing) many small pieces of cloth into one big pattern for the quilt.
Wilmington is a city on North Carolina’s Atlantic coast.
Vocabulary
diagnosis (dy ug NOH sus) n. a doctor’s identification of a patient’s illness; any
expert’s finding of the nature of a problem
Jeremiah’s Song 693
READING WORKSHOP 2
about the tests and things. Sister Jenkins asked her if she
thought she knowed more than Dr. Crawford, and Ellie rolled
her eyes at her, but Sister Jenkins was reading out her Bible
and didn’t make no notice of it.
Then Macon come over.
He had been away on what he called “a little piece of a job”
and hadn’t heard how bad off Grandpa Jeremiah was. When
he come over he talked to Ellie and she told him what was
going on and then he got him a soft drink from the
refrigerator and sat out on the porch and before you know it
he was crying.
You could look at his face and tell the difference between him
sweating and the tears. The sweat was close against his skin
and shiny and the tears come down fatter and more sparkly.
Macon sat on the porch, without saying a word, until the
sun went down and the crickets started chirping and
carrying on. Then he went in to where Grandpa Jeremiah was
and stayed in there for a long time. 7
Sister Todd was saying that Grandpa Jeremiah needed his
rest and Ellie went in to see what Macon was doing. Then she
come out real mad.
“He got Grandpa telling those old stories again,” Ellie said.
“I told him Grandpa needed his rest and for him not to be
staying all night.”
He did leave soon, but bright and early the next morning
Macon was back again. This time he brought his guitar with
him and be went on in to Grandpa Jeremiah’s room. I went
in, too.
Grandpa Jeremiah’s room smelled terrible. It was all closed
up so no drafts could get on him and the whole room was
smelled down with disinfect4 and medicine. Grandpa
Jeremiah lay propped up on the bed and he was so gray he
looked scary. His hair wasn’t combed down and his head on
the pillow with his white hair sticking out was enough to
send me flying if Macon hadn’t been there. He was skinny,
too. He looked like his skin got loose on his bones, and when
he lifted his arms, it hung down like he was just wearing it
instead of it being a part of him. 8
Practice the Skills
7
Reviewing Skills
Drawing Conclusions What
does Macon’s reaction to Ellie’s
words about Grandpa tell you
about Macon’s feelings?
8
Key Literary Element
Character How does the narrator react to how Grandpa
Jeremiah has changed?
4. In the region’s dialect, disinfect is short for disinfectant, a substance used to kill germs.
694 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
READING WORKSHOP 2
Macon sat slant-shouldered with his
guitar across his lap. He was messin’
with the guitar, not making any music,
but just going over the strings as
Grandpa talked.
“Old Carrie went around out back to
where they kept the pigs penned up and
she felt a cold wind across her face. . . .”
Grandpa Jeremiah was telling the story
about how a old woman out-tricked the
Devil and got her son back. I had heard
the story before, and I knew it was
pretty scary. “When she felt the cold
breeze she didn’t blink nary5 an eye, but
looked straight ahead. . . .”
All the time Grandpa Jeremiah was talking I could see
Macon fingering his guitar. I tried to imagine what it would
be like if he was actually plucking the strings. I tried to fix
my mind on that because I didn’t like the way the story went
with the old woman wrestling with the Devil.
We sat there for nearly all the afternoon until Ellie and
Sister Todd come in and said that supper was ready. Me and
Macon went out and ate some collard greens, ham hocks, and
rice. Then Macon he went back in and listened to some more
of Grandpa’s stories until it was time for him to go home. I
wasn’t about to go in there and listen to no stories at night. 9
D
r. Crawford come around a few days later and said that
Grandpa Jeremiah was doing a little better.
“You think the Good Lord gonna pull him through?” Sister
Todd asked.
“I don’t tell the Good Lord what He should or should not
be doing,” Dr. Crawford said, looking over at Sister Todd and
at Ellie. “I just said that my patient seems to be doing okay for
his condition.”
“He been telling Macon all his stories,” I said.
Young Musician, 1992. Maurice Faulk.
Acrylic on canvas. Private Collection.
Practice the Skills
9
Key Reading Skill
Questioning Asking yourself
questions about these paragraphs can help you understand
the story and the characters.
How would you answer these
questions? Why was Macon
silently fingering his guitar as
Grandpa told his story? Why did
Macon listen to Grandpa’s stories
until he had to go home?
5. The word nary is a shortened form of never and is often used to add emphasis. It’s almost
always followed by a or an and means “not any.”
Jeremiah’s Song 695
Maurice Faulk/SuperStock
READING WORKSHOP 2
“Macon doesn’t seem to understand that Grandpa Jeremiah
needs his strength,” Ellie said. “Now that he’s improving, we
don’t want him to have a setback.”
“No use in stopping him from telling his stories,” Dr.
Crawford said. “If it makes him feel good it’s as good as any
medicine I can give him.” 10
I saw that this didn’t set with Ellie, and when Dr. Crawford
had left I asked her why.
“Dr. Crawford means well,” she said, “but we have to get
away from the kind of life that keeps us in the past.”
She didn’t say why we should be trying to get away from
the stories and I really didn’t care too much. All I knew was
that when Macon was sitting in the room with Grandpa
Jeremiah I wasn’t nearly as scared as I used to be when it was
just me and Ellie listening. I told that to Macon.
“You getting to be a big man, that’s all,” he said.
That was true. Me and Macon was getting to be good
friends, too. I didn’t even mind so much when he started
being friends with Ellie later. It seemed kind of natural,
almost like Macon was supposed to be there with us instead
of just visiting. 11
Grandpa wasn’t getting no better, but he wasn’t getting no
worse, either.
“You liking Macon now?” I asked Ellie when we got to the
middle of July. She was dishing out a plate of smothered
chops for him and I hadn’t even heard him ask for anything
to eat.
“Macon’s funny,” Ellie said, not answering my question.
“He’s in there listening to all of those old stories like he’s
really interested in them. It’s almost as if he and Grandpa
Jeremiah are talking about something more than the stories, a
secret language.”
I didn’t think I was supposed to say anything about that to
Macon, but once, when Ellie, Sister Todd, and Macon were out
on the porch shelling butter beans after Grandpa got tired
and was resting, I went into his room and told him what Ellie
had said.
Vocabulary
setback (SET bak) n. an unexpected difficulty or stop in progress
696 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Practice the Skills
10
Why do you think it might be
important for Grandpa Jeremiah
to keep telling his stories even
though he is very ill? Write
your answer on the “Jeremiah’s
Song” page of Foldable 6. Your
response will help you complete
the Unit Challenge later.
11
Key Literary Element
Character How have the
narrator’s feelings toward Macon
changed?
READING WORKSHOP 2
“She said that?” Grandpa Jeremiah’s face was skinny and
old looking but his eyes looked like a baby’s, they was so
bright.
“Right there in the kitchen is where she said it,” I said.
“And I don’t know what it mean but I was wondering about
it.”
“I didn’t think she had any feeling for them stories,”
Grandpa Jeremiah said. “If she think we talking secrets,
maybe she don’t.”
“I think she getting a feeling for Macon,” I said.
“That’s okay, too,” Grandpa Jeremiah said. “They both
young.”
“Yeah, but them stories you be telling, Grandpa, they about
old people who lived a long time ago,” I said.
“Well, those the folks you got to know about,” Grandpa
Jeremiah said. “You think on what those folks been through,
and what they was feeling, and you add it up with what you
been through and what you been feeling, then you got you
something.”
“What you got, Grandpa?”
“You got you a bridge,” Grandpa said. “And a meaning.
Then when things get so hard you about to break, you can
sneak across that bridge and see some folks who went before
you and see how they didn’t break. Some got bent and some
got twisted and a few fell along the way, but they didn’t
12 Key Reading Skill
break.” 12
“Am I going to break, Grandpa?”
Questioning Do you understand Grandpa’s explanation
“You? As strong as you is?” Grandpa Jeremiah pushed
about stories? If not, read it again
himself up on his elbow and give me a look. “No way you
and think about it. It’s a very
going to break, boy. You gonna be strong as they come. One
important part of the story.
day you gonna tell all them stories I told you to your
young’uns and they’ll be as strong as you.”
“Suppose I ain’t got no stories, can I make some up?”
“Sure you can, boy. You make ‘em up and twist ‘em around. 13
Grandpa Jeremiah says that
Don’t make no mind. Long as you got ‘em.” 13
whether stories are true or not
“Is that what Macon is doing?” I asked. “Making up stories
is not important. It’s just importo play on his guitar?”
tant that you tell them. Do you
“He’ll do with ‘em what he see fit, I suppose,” Grandpa
agree? Why or why not? Write
Jeremiah said. “Can’t ask more than that from a man.”
your answer on the “Jeremiah’s
Practice the Skills
Song” page of Foldable 6. Your
response will help you complete
the Unit Challenge later.
Jeremiah’s Song 697
READING WORKSHOP 2
I
Practice the Skills
t rained the first three days of August. It wasn’t a hard rain
but it rained anyway. The mailman said it was good for the
crops over East but I didn’t care about that so I didn’t pay him
no mind. What I did mind was when it rain like that the field
mice come in and get in things like the flour bin and I always
got the blame for leaving it open.
When the rain stopped I was pretty glad. Macon come over
and sat with Grandpa and had something to eat with us.
14 Key Literary Element
Sister Todd come over, too. 14
“How Grandpa doing?” Sister Todd asked. “They been
Characterization In this
paragraph, Macon sits with
asking about him in the church.”
Grandpa. From Macon’s actions
“He’s doing all right,” Ellie said.
here and earlier, what have you
“He’s kind of quiet today,” Macon said. “He was just
learned about him as a person?
talking about how the hogs needed breeding.”
What have you learned about his
“He must have run out of stories to tell,” Sister Todd said.
feelings toward Grandpa?
“He’ll be repeating on himself like my father used to do.
That’s the way I hear old folks get.”
698 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Will & Deni McIntyre/Getty Images
READING WORKSHOP 2
Everybody laughed at that because Sister Todd was pretty
old, too. Maybe we was all happy because the sun was out
after so much rain. When Sister Todd went in to take
Grandpa Jeremiah a plate of potato salad with no mayonnaise
like he liked it, she told him about how people was asking for
him and he told her to tell them he was doing okay and to
remember him in their prayers.
Sister Todd came over the next afternoon, too, with some
rhubarb pie with cheese on it, which is my favorite pie. When
she took a piece into Grandpa Jeremiah’s room she come right
out again and told Ellie to go fetch the Bible. 15
It was a hot day when they had the funeral. Mostly
everybody was there. The church was hot as anything, even
though they had the window open. Some yellowjacks flew in
and buzzed around Sister Todd’s niece and then around
Deacon Turner’s wife and settled right on her hat and stayed
there until we all stood and sang “Soon-a Will Be Done.”
At the graveyard Macon played “Precious Lord” and I cried
hard even though I told myself that I wasn’t going to cry the
way Ellie and Sister Todd was, but it was such a sad thing
when we left and Grandpa Jeremiah was still out to the grave
that I couldn’t help it.
During the funeral and all, Macon kind of told everybody
where to go and where to sit and which of the three cars to
ride in. After it was over he come by the house and sat on the
front porch and played on his guitar. Ellie was standing
leaning against the rail and she was crying but it wasn’t a
hard crying. It was a soft crying, the kind that last inside of
you for a long time. Macon was playing a tune I hadn’t heard
before. I thought it might have been what he was working at
when Grandpa Jeremiah was telling him those stories and I
watched his fingers but I couldn’t tell if it was or not. It wasn’t
nothing special, that tune Macon was playing, maybe
halfway between them Delta blues he would do when Sister
Todd wasn’t around and something you would play at
church. It was something different and something the same
at the same time. I watched his fingers go over that guitar
and figured I could learn that tune one day if I had a
mind to. 16 ❍
6. The yellowjacks, or yellow jackets, are wasps whose name comes from their bright yellow
markings.
Practice the Skills
15
Reviewing Skill
Drawing Conclusions What
has happened to Grandpa
Jeremiah? How do you know?
16
How will Macon and the narrator carry on Grandpa Jeremiah’s
storytelling tradition? How do
you know? Write your answer
on the “Jeremiah’s Song” page
of Foldable 6. Your response
will help you complete the Unit
Challenge later.
Jeremiah’s Song 699
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
After You Read
Jeremiah’s Song
Answering the
1. Why do you think Grandpa Jeremiah and Macon share their stories?
2. Recall Why doesn’t Ellie listen to Grandpa Jeremiah’s stories any
more?
T IP Right There
3. Summarize How does the narrator change by the end of the story?
T IP Think and Search
Critical Thinking
4. Infer Why does the narrator believe he can learn Macon’s tune at the
end of the story?
T IP Author and Me
5. Infer What are Macon’s feelings toward Grandpa? Support your
answers with details from the story.
T IP Author and Me
6. Evaluate Which is more important to you—learning about the past
from people like Grandpa Jeremiah or “book learning”? Explain.
T IP On My Own
7. Synthesize Imagine that you’re creating a sequel, or follow-up story,
for “Jeremiah’s Song.” Who would be the main characters? What would
happen in the new story?
T IP On My Own
Write About Your Reading
Objectives (pp. 700-701)
Reading Monitor comprehension: ask
questions • Make connections from text
to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
characterization
Vocabulary Understand dialect
Writing Use the RAFT system:
personal letter
Grammar Combine sentences
Use the RAFT system to write about “Jeremiah’s Song.“
Role: The narrator of this story
Audience: Ellie
Format: A letter
Topic: Explain the importance of Grandpa Jeremiah’s stories.
Here’s a beginning for your letter.
Dear Ellie,
I know you didn’t think that Grandpa Jeremiah’s stories were important.
But I thought they were very important. Here’s why.
700 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Jim Erickson/CORBIS
READING WORKSHOP 2 • Questioning
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Questioning
8. How did the questions that you wrote in your
Learner’s Notebook help you read this story?
• Were you able to answer the questions you
thought of before you read the story?
• Did asking questions help you understand parts
of the story that might have been confusing or
unclear to you?
• Did asking questions help you understand the
characters’ dialects and motivations?
Key Literary Element: Character
9. Dynamic characters change. Name one dynamic
character in the story. Explain your answer.
10. Static characters stay the same. Name one static
character in the story. Explain your answer.
11. Motivation is what causes someone to do something. Tell Grandpa Jeremiah’s motivation for telling stories.
Reviewing Skills: Drawing Conclusions
12. Think about Grandpa Jeremiah’s reasons for telling stories. What conclusions can you draw about
Grandpa Jeremiah’s life and the life of his parents
and grandparents?
Vocabulary Check
Use the words below to complete the sentences.
worthwhile diagnosis setback
when she
13. Anna’s training suffered a serious
broke her arm.
14. We all felt the review session before the test
was very
.
15. The mechanic inspected the car and gave us
his
.
16. English Language Coach Review the differences between dialect and Standard English.
Name two ways that they are different.
Grammar Link:
Combining Sentences
You can combine simple sentences to form complex
ones.
Simple: I left early.
Simple: I felt sick.
Complex: I left early because I felt sick.
Complex: Because I felt sick, I left early.
Adding because (or any other subordinating
conjunction) to a clause makes it dependent. The
clause cannot stand alone as a complete sentence.
Independent (complete): I left early.
Dependent (incomplete): because I left early
Common Subordinating Conjunctions
because
cause and effect
if
condition
although, though, whereas
opposite ideas
after, before, when, while
time
Grammar Practice
Combine each pair of sentences below. Use the chart
to choose a conjunction for each sentence.
17. (Condition) It is raining. We won’t go.
18. (Opposite ideas) It is raining. We’ll go.
19. (Time) Be sure to study. You take the test.
Writing Application Review your RAFT assignment.
Combine two simple sentences to form a complex
sentence.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Jeremiah’s Song 701
READING WORKSHOP 3
Skills Focus
You will practice using these skills when you
read the following selections:
• “The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko,”
p. 706
• “We Are All One,” p. 716
Reading
• Predicting
Literature
• Recognizing cultural allusions
• Analyzing what cultural
allusions add to a work
Vocabulary
• Identifying dialogue
• Understanding how to read
dialogue
Writing/Grammar
• Using commas in
compound sentences
• Using commas in
complex sentences
Skill Lesson
Predicting
Learn It!
What Is It? Predicting means making guesses
about what will happen next in a story. To predict,
you think about the events and details you’ve read
about so far. Then you guess what might happen
next. Once you make a prediction, you read on to
see if you guessed right. If you didn’t, that’s okay.
You predict to get more involved in the story and to
make it more interesting.
To make good predictions:
• Pay attention to details in the story.
• Use what you know about the subject of the story.
For example, in a story about a boy and his grandmother, you might predict he will learn something
from her.
ate, Inc.
Permission of King Features Syndic
©Zits Partnership, Reprinted with
Analyzing Cartoons
Jeremy thinks his dad is predictable. Did
you ever predict what a friend or family
member or teacher would say next?
How did you know? What information or
experiences led to your prediction?
Objectives (pp. 702–703)
Reading Make predictions
702 UNIT 6
King Features Syndicate
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
Why Is It Important? Predicting helps you look forward to events and
pay attention to details in a story. For example, usually the hero of a folktale
faces challenges but wins in the end. You might expect it, but you read on to
find out whether you’re right. Predicting can be useful in real life also. You
can predict that if you’re late to meet your friends, they will be annoyed.
Study Central Visit www.glencoe
.com and click on Study Central to
review predicting.
How Do I Do It? Before you read, notice the title. Then skim some of the
story to get an idea of what it’s about. Think about what is most likely to
happen to these characters, based on what you already know about life
and about folktales. Here’s how one student predicted events in a story.
She read the title and skimmed the first paragraph.
The Weaver and Her Brothers
Ari and her three brothers were playing near a
tumbledown house one day when a man came out of
the house and yelled at them. He pointed at the boys
and flapped his hands, and they all turned into crows.
He said to Ari, “They will never be human again
unless you find them and weave sweaters for them.”
The man says only Ari can save her brothers, and she
has to do it by weaving sweaters for them. I see from
the title that Ari is a weaver, so I predict that she will
succeed. Also, I know that fairy tale heroes usually win in
the end. I think she’ll find her brothers and save them.
Practice It!
Cause and effect are very important in predicting. Look at the situations
and events below and predict some of the possible effects, things that
might happen. In your Learner’s Notebook, copy and complete the sentences with a prediction.
• If a little girl suddenly saw a monster, she might . . .
• If a very rich man was going blind, he might . . .
• If a kind man saw an anthill about to be flooded, he might . . .
Use It!
As you read these selections, remember the lists you made to practice
predicting. If new knowledge about the characters makes you change your
predictions as you read, write your revised predictions on your lists.
Reading Workshop 3 Predicting 703
John Evans
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
Before You Read
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko
Vocabulary Preview
whimsical (WIM zih kul) adj. light and natural; not serious (p. 706) The
whimsical story made me think of knights and castles.
disruptions (DIS rup shunz) n. unwanted breaks or interruptions (p. 709)
It was hard to watch the game because of my sister’s disruptions.
M a r k C r ill e y
Meet the Author
Mark Crilley began drawing
at a young age. After college,
he taught in Japan, where he
invented the character Akiko.
Since then, he has published
more than 50 issues of the
Akiko comic book series. He
writes,“ . . . somewhere
underneath all the silly drawings and slapstick humor lies
a gentle reminder of the little
4th grader within us all. . . .”
Author Search For more about
Mark Crilley, go to www.glencoe
.com.
English Language Coach
Dialogue Conversation between characters in a story is called dialogue.
In most text, dialogue appears between quotation marks. In a comic book
or graphic story, dialogue usually appears in bubbles.
HEY! Stop that!
In most comic books, words that are not inside a bubble are not spoken
dialogue. They are not spoken by any character in the story. They are like
the words that would be spoken by a narrator in a play or movie.
Dialogue helps to
• bring characters to life by showing their personalities and what they are
thinking and feeling
• move the plot forward by noting a passage of time and introducing new
characters, locations, or actions
Look at these sentences from the graphic story you are about to read.
Narration
Dialogue
Objectives (pp. 704–711)
Reading Make predictions • Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
cultural allusions
Vocabulary Understand dialogue
On Your Own Read the sentences below. Which sentences are
probably dialogue? Which ones are probably narration? How can you tell?
1. Ari and her three brothers were playing near a tumbledown house.
2. Hey, you kids! Get off my lawn!
3. He pointed at the boys, and they all turned into crows.
704 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Mary Moylan
Once upon a time there was a little girl named
‘Kiko-Wiko.
What’s up?
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
Skills Preview
Get Ready to Read
Key Reading Skill: Predicting
Connect to the Reading
When you predict, you combine clues from the text
with what you already know. Then you make predictions, or good guesses, about what will come next.
Before you read, you may predict what a selection is
about. While you read, you may also predict what will
happen later.
The next selection is about a girl who doesn’t like the
story she’s in. As a result, she tries to change parts of
the story. Think about a story you’ve written. How did
you invent the characters? What were some of the
traits of your characters? If your characters could talk
to you, what would they tell you about the story?
These clues will help you make predictions:
• The title of the story
• The illustrations
• The qualities or characteristics of the author or main
character
Build Background
Think-Pair-Share Think about the title “The Tale of
‘Kiko-Wiko.” Who or what do you think ‘Kiko-Wiko is?
What do you predict the story is about? Use your
imagination. With a partner, talk about your
predictions.
Key Literary Element: Cultural Allusions
When a writer refers to something that has meaning
for a particular group of people, it is called a cultural
allusion. For example, in a Native American story, a
spider may refer to the legend of Grandmother Spider.
She brought corn and light to the people. For readers
from that culture or tradition, the spider is a positive
symbol. Writers often use cultural allusions because
they are brief but rich in meaning.
As you read, pay attention to characters and objects.
Ask yourself:
• Could this person, animal, or thing be more important than I think?
• Does this remind me of my own traditions? Why is it
important?
Partner Talk With a partner, talk about some
animals or objects in your cultures that refer to other
ideas. Why are they important? Are they positive or
negative symbols?
The graphic story you are about to read is from a
comic book series called Akiko.
• Akiko is a fourth-grade girl who goes on many
weird adventures.
• In the series, Akiko travels to strange planets with
her friends.
• More than 50 issues of Akiko have been published.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read “The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko” to
find out what happens when a character tries to
change the story she is in.
Set Your Own Purpose What would you like to
learn from the selection to help you answer the Big
Question? Write your own purpose on the “Tale of
‘Kiko-Wiko” page of Foldable 6.
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook
To review or learn more about the literary
elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko 705
READING WORKSHOP 3
Practice the Skills
1 Key Reading Skill
1
Predicting ‘KikoWiko tells you that the
story is a fairy tale.
Using this information
and the illustrations
on this page, what do
you predict will happen in the story? Write
your answer in your
Learner’s Notebook.
2 Key Literary
Element
Cultural Allusions
‘Kiko-Wiko makes a
cultural allusion here.
What popular fairy
tale features
stepsisters?
2
Vocabulary
whimsical (WIM zih kul) adj. light and natural; not serious
706 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Written and Illustrated by Mark Crilley. Used with Permission. AKIKO is a trademark of Sirius Entertainment
READING WORKSHOP 3
Practice the Skills
3
3 English Language
Coach
Dialogue The words
outside the bubbles
are usually narration
and not the voice of
a character. What is
different about this
graphic story?
4 Key Literary
Element
4
Cultural Allusions
What is a happy
meal? Is a happy meal
an important part of
a particular group of
people or culture?
Why or why not?
1. A devil’s advocate is someone who argues in favor of a less popular or less accepted idea.
2. An ogre (OH gur) is an imaginary monster in fairy tales.
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko 707
Written and Illustrated by Mark Crilley. Used with Permission. AKIKO is a trademark of Sirius Entertainment
READING WORKSHOP 3
Practice the Skills
5 Key Reading Skill
5
Predicting How do
you think ‘Kiko-Wiko
will react to this new
ogre? Why? Write
your answer in your
Learner’s Notebook.
708 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Written and Illustrated by Mark Crilley. Used with Permission. AKIKO is a trademark of Sirius Entertainment
READING WORKSHOP 3
Practice the Skills
6
6 English Language
Coach
Dialogue Look again
at how ‘Kiko-Wiko
and the narrator talk
to each other. How do
you think the narrator
feels about ‘KikoWiko?
Vocabulary
disruptions (dis RUP shunz) n. unwanted breaks or interruptions
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko 709
Written and Illustrated by Mark Crilley. Used with Permission. AKIKO is a trademark of Sirius Entertainment
READING WORKSHOP 3
Practice the Skills
7 Key Reading Skill
7
Predicting Do you
think this fairy tale will
have an ending? Why
or why not? Write
your answer in your
Learner’s Notebook.
710 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Written and Illustrated by Mark Crilley. Used with Permission. AKIKO is a trademark of Sirius Entertainment
READING WORKSHOP 3
Practice the Skills
8
8
Could the author
have told this story
using text only? How
did the dialogue and
images help you
understand and enjoy
the story? Write your
answers on the “Tale
of ‘Kiko-Wiko” page
of Foldable 6. Your
response will help
you complete the Unit
Challenge later.
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko 711
Written and Illustrated by Mark Crilley. Used with Permission. AKIKO is a trademark of Sirius Entertainment
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
After You Read
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko
Answering the
1. Why do you think the author wanted to share this story? Did he want to
inform, persuade, or entertain you? How can you tell?
2. Recall According to ‘Kiko-Wiko, what is wrong with the first ogre?
T IP Right There
3. Recall What happens when the second ogre tries to scare ‘Kiko-Wiko?
T IP Right There
Critical Thinking
4. Infer Where are the characters in this story? Are they inside or outside?
Are they in a natural setting? Use details from the story to explain
your answers.
T IP Author and Me
5. Evaluate Do you think ‘Kiko-Wiko behaves like a good cartoon
character? Why or why not? Explain your answer with examples from
the story.
T IP Author and Me
6. Infer Why does the narrator quit?
T IP Author and Me
7. Respond What surprised you about the story?
T IP Author and Me
Write About Your Reading
Objectives (pp. 712–713)
Reading Make predictions
Literature Identify literary elements:
cultural allusions
Vocabulary Understand dialogue
Writing Write dialogue
Grammar Use punctuation: commas in
compound sentences
Use dialogue and narration to rewrite the last two pages of “The Tale of
‘Kiko-Wiko.” After you have written the text, draw pictures to add to the
end of the story. Think about the questions below as you write your new
ending.
• How will ‘Kiko-Wiko react to the new ogre?
• Will the narrator continue to talk with the characters, or will he only
explain what happens in the fairy tale?
• Will the fairy tale have a happy or sad ending?
712 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Predicting
8. Look back at the predictions you wrote in your
Learner’s Notebook. Did you predict any of the
events that happened in the story? Do you think
that making predictions helped you learn more
from the story? Explain.
Key Literary Element: Cultural Allusions
9. Ogres are monsters in Northern European
mythology. Do you think ogres are cultural allusions? Why or why not? Is an ogre a positive or
negative symbol?
Vocabulary Check
10. Give an example of a time when making faces or
telling jokes would be considered disruptions.
11. Give an example of a situation in which it would
be a bad idea to be whimsical.
English Language Coach The following types of
dialogue bubbles are supposed to communicate
something about what is being said. Can you tell what
each type is supposed to communicate? (You may discuss this question with a partner.)
12.
NO! I WON’T!
Grammar Link: Commas in
Compound Sentences
Put a comma before the coordinating conjunction in a
compound sentence.
• I would like to ski every day, but James prefers
reading.
You can leave out the comma when the two simple
sentences, or independent clauses, are short (five
words or less).
• Skiing is fun and it is good exercise.
Look Out! Do not put a comma before a
coordinating conjunction that is joining compound
words or phrases.
Wrong: My hobbies are skiing, and skating.
Right: My hobbies are skiing and skating.
Grammar Practice
Rewrite each sentence that needs a comma. Punctuate
each sentence correctly.
14. ‘Kiko-Wiko walked up to the ogre.
15. The ogre raised his fists and growled at ‘KikoWiko.
16. The ogre was confused about his lines and ‘KikoWiko argued with the narrator.
17. The narrator quit but ‘Kiko-Wiko didn’t care.
Writing Application Look at the Write About Your
Reading assignment you completed. Join some of your
sentences and write three compound sentences.
13.
Go away, and don’t
ever come back!
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
The Tale of ‘Kiko-Wiko 713
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
Before You Read
We Are All One
Vocabulary Preview
L au re
n c e Ye p
Meet the Author
Laurence Yep grew up as a
Chinese American kid in a
mostly African American
neighborhood in San
Francisco. He liked to read
fantasy and science fiction.
The stories were about
adapting to new situations
and customs, which he did
every day. See page R7 of
the Author Files for more on
Laurence Yep.
Author Search For more about
Laurence Yep, go to www.glencoe
.com.
Objectives (pp. 714–721)
Reading Make predictions • Make
connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
cultural allusions
Vocabulary Understand dialogue
scurrying (SKUR ee ing) v. running or moving quickly or excitedly; form
of the verb scurry (p. 717) The peddler noticed ants scurrying across
the ground.
regretfully (rih GRET ful ee) adv. in a way that shows sorrow, distress, or
disappointment (p. 718) Unable to help, the queen shook her
head regretfully.
omen (OH mun) n. a sign or event thought to predict good or bad fortune
(p. 718) The peddler believed his dream was a good omen.
frustration (frus TRAY shun) n. irritation at being kept from doing or
achieving something (p. 720) The old man’s frustration nearly drove him
to tears.
Listen to Learn Work with a partner. As one of you reads each definition
aloud, the other person identifies the vocabulary word. Take turns until you
know each word well.
English Language Coach
Conventions of Dialogue Almost all stories use dialogue, conversation
between characters. One convention, or way of doing things, that is used
with dialogue is to begin a new paragraph whenever a different character
speaks.
“It might be dangerous to go,” said Mara.
“But that’s silly!” replied Jeff. “Nothing bad could possibly happen.
We’ll be completely safe.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous!”
Because of the convention, a reader knows that it is Mara, not
Jeff, who says “I’m not so sure” and Jeff who says “Oh, don’t be
ridiculous!”
On Your Own In your Learner’s Notebook, rewrite the paragraph below,
creating as many paragraphs as are needed.
“One of the things I like about folktales,” said Lucy as she removed a
thick book from the shelf, “is that they have happy endings.” “You
know, you’re right,” said Jeff. “I’ve noticed that myself.” “The hero or
heroine might have to struggle for quite a while,” Lucy continued, “but
good always wins out in the end.”
714 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Courtesy Scholastic Books
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
Skills Preview
Get Ready to Read
Key Reading Skill: Predicting
Connect to the Reading
In the folktale “We Are All One,” you will read about
• A rich man whose money cannot buy a cure for the
disease he has
• A poor man who gives away as much as he can
• The connection between all living beings
• The importance of not giving up
Think about what it would mean if we were all one, if
every creature on the planet were equally important
and connected. How would that point of view change
your way of life? Would you be able to kill a mosquito?
As you read, pay attention to the relationship between
all the events and people in this story so that you can
predict how they will affect each other.
Write to Learn Use your imagination; your answers
can involve magic. In your Learner’s Notebook, write
• a reason a poor man might want to help a rich man
• a way an insect might be able to help a person
• an example of people and animals communicating
with each other
Key Literary Element: Cultural Allusions
When a writer mentions, or alludes to, something
important to a particular group of people, it is called a
cultural allusion.
As you read, notice characters and objects. Ask yourself:
• Is this person or animal important to the story?
• Does this object remind me of an object from my
own culture?
Whole-class Discussion Listed below are some
cultural allusions. Talk about the ones with which you
are familiar. What is the importance or meaning?
Whole-class Discussion Talk about the meaning of
the expression “We are all one.” Do you agree with
any of these statements?
• What happens to one person affects everyone.
• Every person or thing is connected to every other
one; we’re all part of one family.
• Every person and thing is equally important.
Build Background
Chinese people who left their homeland to live in
America brought with them many traditional stories.
They retold these tales to remind themselves of life at
home and to show how to survive in a strange and
often hostile land. The tales were meant to teach
children how a Chinese person should behave.
“We Are All One” retells one of those stories.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read “We Are All One” to find
out why storytellers told this ancient tale.
Set Your Own Purpose What would you like to
learn from the selection to help you answer the Big
Question? Write your own purpose on the “We Are All
One” page of Foldable 6.
mountain • star • lion • beads • tree • moon
eagle • cross • mask • shawl • pyramid
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook
To review or learn more about the literary
elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
We Are All One 715
READING WORKSHOP 3
by Laurence Yep
L
ong ago there was a rich man with a disease in his eyes.
For many years, the pain was so great that he could not sleep
at night. He saw every doctor he could, but none of them
could help him.
“What good is all my money?” he groaned. Finally, he
became so desperate that he sent criers1 through the city
offering a reward to anyone who could cure him.
Now in that city lived an old candy peddler. He would
walk around with his baskets of candy, but he was so kindhearted that he gave away as much as he sold, so he was
always poor. 1
1. Before modern forms of communication, criers gave people the news. Some criers were public
officials who announced important events; others were hired by individuals.
716 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Bridgeman Art Library
Practice the Skills
1
Key Reading Skill
Predicting What do you expect
this folktale will be about? What
will happen to the rich man?
What will the peddler do? Base
your answers on the story’s
title and on the first three paragraphs. Write your predictions in
your Learner’s Notebook.
READING WORKSHOP 3
When the old peddler heard the announcement, he
remembered something his mother had said. She had once
told him about a magical herb that was good for the eyes. So
he packed up his baskets and went back to the single tiny
room in which his family lived.
When he told his plan to his wife, she scolded him, “If you
go off on this crazy hunt, how are we supposed to eat?” 2
Usually the peddler gave in to his wife, but this time he
was stubborn. “There are two baskets of candy,” he said. “I’ll
be back before they’re gone.”
The next morning, as soon as the soldiers opened the gates,
he was the first one to leave the city. He did not stop until he
was deep inside the woods. As a boy, he had often wandered
there. He had liked to pretend that the shadowy forest was a
green sea and he was a fish slipping through the cool waters.
As he examined the ground, he noticed ants scurrying
about. On their backs were larvae2 like white grains of rice. A
rock had fallen into a stream, so the water now spilled into
the ant’s nest. 3
“We’re all one,” the kind-hearted peddler said. So he waded
into the shallow stream and put the rock on the bank. Then
with a sharp stick, he dug a shallow ditch that sent the rest of
the water back into the stream.
Without another thought about his good deed, he began to
search through the forest. He looked everywhere; but as the
day went on, he grew sleepy. “Ho-hum. I got up too early. I’ll
take just a short nap,” he decided, and lay down in the shade
of an old tree, where he fell right asleep.
In his dreams, the old peddler found himself standing in
the middle of a great city. Tall buildings rose high overhead.
He couldn’t see the sky even when he tilted back his head. An
escort of soldiers marched up to him with a loud clatter of
their black lacquer armor. “Our queen wishes to see you,” the
captain said.
Practice the Skills
2
English Language Coach
Dialogue One purpose of
dialogue is to give information
about characters. What can you
tell about the candy seller’s wife
from what she says here?
3
Key Literary Element
Cultural Allusions In many
cultures, ants stand for the
positive values of hard work and
determination. Anyone who has
ever watched ants has seen how
busy they seem. Why do you
think the storyteller uses ants
here? What message might
they give to the peddler and
to readers?
2. Larvae (LAR vee) is the plural form of larva. They’re insects at a very young, wormlike stage
of development.
Vocabulary
scurrying (SKUR ee ing) v. running or moving quickly or excitedly
We Are All One 717
READING WORKSHOP 3
The frightened peddler could only obey
and let the fierce soldiers lead him into a
shining palace. There, a woman with a high
crown sat upon a tall throne. Trembling, the
old peddler fell to his knees and touched his
forehead against the floor.
But the queen ordered him to stand. “Like
the great Emperor Yü of long ago, you tamed
the great flood. We are all one now. You have
only to ask, and I or any of my people will
come to your aid.”
The old peddler cleared his throat. “I am
looking for a certain herb. It will cure any
disease of the eyes.”
The queen shook her head regretfully. “I
have never heard of that herb. But you will
surely find it if you keep looking for it.”
And then the old peddler woke. Sitting up,
he saw that in his wanderings he had come
back to the ants’ nest. It was there he had
taken his nap. His dream city had been the
ants’ nest itself.
“This is a good omen,” he said to himself,
and he began searching even harder. He was
so determined to find the herb that he did not notice how
time had passed. He was surprised when he saw how the
light was fading. He looked all around then. There was no
sight of his city—only strange hills. He realized then that he
had searched so far he had gotten lost. 4
Night was coming fast and with it the cold. He rubbed his
arms and hunted for shelter. In the twilight, he thought he
could see the green tiles of a roof.
He stumbled through the growing darkness until he
reached a ruined temple. Weeds grew through cracks in the
stones and most of the roof itself had fallen in. Still, the ruins
would provide some protection.
Vocabulary
regretfully (rih GRET ful ee) adv. in a way that shows sorrow, distress, or
disappointment
omen (OH mun) n. a sign or event thought to predict good or bad fortune
718 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
CORBIS
Practice the Skills
Detail of Eight Views at the Confluence
of the Hsiao and Hsiang Rivers. Zosan.
4
Key Reading Skill
Predicting Why does the
peddler think that he will find
the herb? Will he find his way
home? Write your predictions in
your Learner’s Notebook.
READING WORKSHOP 3
As he started inside, he saw a centipede with bright orange
skin and red tufts of fur along its back. Yellow dots covered
its sides like a dozen tiny eyes. It was also
rushing into the temple as fast as it could,
but there was a bird swooping down
toward it.
The old peddler waved his arms and
Visual Vocabulary
A centipede is a long,
shouted, scaring the bird away. Then he put
flat insect with many
down his palm in front of the insect. “We
pairs of legs. The
prefix centi- means
are all one, you and I.” The many feet
either “hundred” or
tickled his skin as the centipede climbed
“hundredth part of.”
The root word pede
onto his hand.
comes from the Latin
Inside the temple, he gathered dried
word for “foot.”
leaves and found old sticks of wood and
soon he had a fire going. The peddler even picked some fresh
leaves for the centipede from a bush near the temple doorway.
“I may have to go hungry, but you don’t have to, friend.”
Stretching out beside the fire, the old peddler pillowed his
head on his arms. He was so tired that he soon fell asleep, but
even in his sleep he dreamed he was still searching in the
woods. Suddenly he thought he heard footsteps near his
head. He woke instantly and looked about, but he only saw
the brightly colored centipede.
“Was it you, friend?” The old peddler chuckled and, lying
down, he closed his eyes again. “I must be getting nervous.”
“We are one, you and I,” a voice said faintly—as if from a
long distance. “If you go south, you will find a pine tree with
two trunks. By its roots, you will find a magic bead. A cousin
of mine spat on it years ago. Dissolve that bead in wine and
tell the rich man to drink it if he wants to heal his eyes.”
The old peddler trembled when he heard the voice, because
he realized that the centipede was magical. He wanted to run
from the temple, but he couldn’t even get up. It was as if he
were glued to the floor. 5
But then the old peddler reasoned with himself: If the
centipede had wanted to hurt me, it could have long ago.
Instead, it seems to want to help me.
So the old peddler stayed where he was, but he did not
dare open his eyes. When the first sunlight fell through the
roof, he raised one eyelid cautiously. There was no sign of the
centipede. He sat up and looked around, but the magical
Practice the Skills
5
English Language Coach
Dialogue How can you tell that,
this time, it is not the peddler
who says “We are one, you and
I”? Whose voice does the peddler hear? Why do you think this
character begins by repeating
what the peddler said earlier?
We Are All One 719
C. Allan Morgan/Peter Arnold, Inc.
READING WORKSHOP 3
centipede was gone.
He followed the
centipede’s instructions
when he left the temple.
Traveling south, he kept
a sharp eye out for the
pine tree with two
trunks. He walked until
late in the afternoon,
but all he saw were
normal pine trees. 6
Wearily he sat down
and sighed. Even if he
found the pine tree, he
couldn’t be sure that he
would find the bead.
Someone else might
even have discovered it
a long time ago. 7
But something made
him look a little longer.
Old Man Seated with a Servant Reading, 18th
century. Artist unknown. Gouache on paper.
Just when he was
Nottingham City Museums and Galleries, Great
thinking about turning
Britain.
back, he saw the odd
tree. Somehow his tired legs managed to carry him over to
the tree, and he got down on his knees. But the ground was
covered with pine needles and his old eyes were too weak.
The old peddler could have wept with frustration, and then
he remembered the ants. 8
He began to call, “Ants, ants, we are all one.”
Almost immediately, thousands of ants came boiling out of
nowhere. Delighted, the old man held up his fingers. “I’m
looking for a bead. It might be very tiny.”
Then, careful not to crush any of his little helpers, the old
man sat down to wait. In no time, the ants reappeared with a
tiny bead. With trembling fingers, the old man took the bead
Vocabulary
frustration (frus TRAY shun) n. irritation at being kept from doing or achieving
something
720 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Bridgeman Art Library
Practice the Skills
6
Key Literary Element
Cultural Allusions The pine
tree is an allusion to eternal life
and health because it stays green
year round, even in the snow.
How might the pine tree relate to
the way the peddler feels?
7
Key Reading Skill
Predicting Does the peddler’s
conversation with the centipede
make it seem more likely or less
likely that he will find the herb?
Why? Write your prediction in
your Learner’s Notebook.
8
Reviewing Skills
Comparing and Contrasting
What part of the description of
the peddler here reminds you of
the rich man?
READING WORKSHOP 3
from them and examined it. It was colored orange and looked
as if it had yellow eyes on the sides.
There was nothing very special about the bead, but the old
peddler treated it like a fine jewel. Putting the bead into his
pouch, the old peddler bowed his head. “I thank you and I
thank your queen,” the old man said. After the ants
disappeared among the pine needles, he made his way out of
the woods.
The next day, he reached the house of the rich man.
However, he was so poor and ragged that the gatekeeper only
laughed at him. “How could an old beggar like you help my
master?”
The old peddler tried to argue. “Beggar or rich man, we are
all one.”
But it so happened that the rich man was passing by the
gates. He went over to the old peddler. “I said anyone could
see me. But it’ll mean a stick across your back if you’re
wasting my time.”
The old peddler took out the pouch. “Dissolve this bead in
some wine and drink it down.” Then, turning the pouch
upside down, he shook the tiny bead onto his palm and
handed it to the rich man.
The rich man immediately called for a cup of wine.
Dropping the bead into the wine, he waited a moment and
then drank it down. Instantly the pain vanished. Shortly after
that, his eyes healed.
The rich man was so happy and grateful that he doubled
the reward. And the kindly old peddler and his family lived
comfortably for the rest of their lives. 9 ❍
Practice the Skills
9
Why do you think Chinese
parents shared this story from
their homeland with their children who were born in America?
What advice does the story offer?
Write your answer on the “We
Are All One” page of Foldable 6.
Your response will help you complete the Unit Challenge later.
We Are All One 721
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
After You Read
We Are All One
Answering the
1. Why do you think telling this story is a part of Chinese culture?
2. Recall What is the peddler’s first act of kindness toward another
creature?
T IP Right There
3. Scan Glance quickly through the story to find each person and creature
the peddler talks to throughout the story. Name each one.
T IP Think and Search
Critical Thinking
4. Infer What do the rich man’s first words to the peddler tell you about
his personality? Do you think that the disease in his eyes is the reason
for his bad behavior?
T IP Think and Search
5. Analyze Do you think the peddler’s behavior will change now that he
is rich? Explain.
T IP Author and Me
6. Evaluate Did the story present lifelike characters, an interesting plot,
and a good ending? Why or why not?
T IP Author and Me
Talk About Your Reading
Objectives (pp. 722–723)
Reading Make predictions • Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
cultural allusions
Vocabulary Understand dialogue
Grammar Use punctuation: commas in
complex sentences
Literature Groups The theme of much popular literature is a quest, a
search for some object or an attempt to reach some goal. What is the quest
in “We Are All One”? In other words, what is the peddler searching for or
trying to achieve? With your group, share ideas about other stories you
know that are based on a quest.
Write to Learn Think about the quest stories your group discussed.
Besides the quest, what else do these stories have in common? Write your
thoughts in a short paragraph.
722 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
CORBIS
READING WORKSHOP 3 • Predicting
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Predicting
7. You were asked to write down three predictions
as you read the story. Which of your predictions
turned out to be right? Which were wrong?
Key Literary Element: Cultural Allusions
8. In Chinese tradition, the pine tree stands for
health and eternal life. Does it seem right that the
peddler is looking for a pine tree? Explain your
answer.
Reviewing Skills: Comparing and
Contrasting
9. Compare and contrast the peddler’s dream city to
the ants’ real city. What is the same about them?
What is different about them?
Vocabulary Check
Answer each of the following questions.
10. Which is the best synonym for scurrying?
• stomping
• whizzing
• running
11. Which of the following is supposed to be said
regretfully?
• an apology
• an invitation
• a joke
12. What do people think an omen can tell them
about?
• the present
• the past
• the future
13. Which of the following might a person do to
show frustration?
• clap wildly
• throw something
• shrug
14. English Language Coach Think back to the
dialogue in the story. Did you ever have trouble
figuring out who was talking? What helped you
know?
Grammar Link: Commas in
Complex Sentences
When a complex sentence begins with a dependent
clause, put a comma after the clause.
• If you have questions, you can call me.
dependent
independent
Watch Out! Put a comma after the dependent clause,
not after the subordinating conjunction.
Wrong: Although, I studied I did not get an “A.“
Right: Although I studied, I did not get an “A.“
When a complex sentence begins with an independent
clause, the comma is usually omitted. Compare the
following complex sentences:
Dependent first—comma: Because I am the oldest kid
in my family, I often have to baby-sit.
Independent first—no comma: I often have to babysit because I am the oldest kid in my family.
Grammar Practice
On a separate piece of paper, copy the complex sentences below. Add or leave out a comma in any sentence that is punctuated wrong. (Not all sentences are
punctuated wrong.)
15. Eduardo has loved cars, since he was a child.
16. When he was little he played with toy cars.
17. Eduardo would own a real car if he could.
18. When he is sixteen, he will go for his license.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
We Are All One 723
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 2
Modern Folktale
Revising, Editing, and Presenting
ASSIGNMENT Rewrite a
folktale in the present
Purpose: To tell a story
using all of the elements
of a folktale
Audience: You, your
teacher, and your
classmates
Revising Rubric
Your revised folktale
should have
• well-developed characters
• dialogue
• a theme
• a third-person point
of view
• correct spelling, grammar,
usage, and mechanics
Now it’s time to make any changes you want to make to your folktale. That’s
right. You can change anything! You can even rewrite entire sections if you’re
not happy with them.
When you’re finished revising, you’ll prepare your folktale to share it with
others. Also, you’ll keep a copy of it in a writing portfolio so that you and
your teacher can evaluate your writing progress over time.
Revising
Make It Better
Parts of your story that seemed perfectly clear when you were writing your
draft may sound confusing to you now. Don’t worry. Now’s your chance to
experiment with changes.
1. Read the latest version of your draft. Write down any thoughts you have
or changes you want to make in the margins of your paper. You can
pause and make the changes as you read, or you can just make notes
about what you want to change and go back later.
be mciofrice
spe
“Where are you going?”asked Dan.
2. Check your draft against the Revising Rubric to make sure you have all of
the elements that you need to have in your folktale. Ask yourself questions like these. Then make any necessary changes.
• Is the third-person point of view consistent throughout the story?
• Will readers feel like they “know” my characters?
Objectives
(pp. 724–729)
Writing Revise writing for key
elements, style, and word choice
Grammar Write compound and
complex sentences
Listening, Speaking, and
Viewing Present folktale • Use
appropriate expressions and gestures
• Maintain effective eye contact and
posture • Ask for feedback
• Is the dialogue interesting and descriptive?
• Is the theme well-developed?
3. Don’t bore your readers! Mix up the way you start your sentences and
use different types of sentences. If most of your sentences start with the
same word or words, try starting some of your sentences with an adjective or an adverb. If you use a lot of simple sentences, combine some
sentences to make them compound or complex sentences.
724 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 2
Editing
Finish It Up
You’ve done a lot of work writing your folktale. Now clean up your writing so
readers can focus on your story instead of your mistakes.
Writing Models For models and
other writing activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Guide Your Readers
Remember that a paragraph is a group of sentences that relate to one main
idea. Your use of paragraphs should guide readers through your writing.
When you write expository texts such as summaries and reports, you often
have a topic sentence followed by supporting details. You start a new paragraph when you change topics.
Sometimes it’s tricky to know where to start a new paragraph when you’re
writing a story. It can be hard to tell exactly when you’re changing topics, and
you often don’t use a clear topic sentence and supporting details structure.
Here are some good reasons to start a new paragraph in a story.
The narrator switches to a new idea (such as from description to action or
from description of one character to description of another).
The time or place changes.
The action switches from one character to another.
You are quoting dialogue and the speaker changes.*
*In truth, this last reason to start a new paragraph is not optional. When you
are using dialogue, you must start a new paragraph every time the speaker
changes.
Here’s an example from “Brer Rabbit and Brer Lion,” retold by Julius Lester.
“What’s your hurry, Brer Rabbit?”
“Run, Brer Lion! There’s a hurricane coming.”
Brer Lion got scared. “I’m too heavy to run, Brer Rabbit.
What am I going to do?”
“Lay down, Brer Lion. Lay down! Get close to the ground!”
Writing Tip
The narrator may not always say who is talking, but readers can keep track
by looking at the paragraphing. (In the dialogue above, readers can also figure out who is talking by looking at the direct address in the dialogue.)
Look over your draft and make sure that your paragraphing guides your
readers through your story.
Conventions Be sure to
punctuate your dialogue correctly so readers know exactly
what words the character says.
If you need a reminder on
how to punctuate dialogue,
see page R36.
Writing Workshop Part 2
Modern Folktale 725
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 2
Applying Good Writing Traits
Presentation
How Do I Do It?
The way you present, or share, the final version
of your writing makes a difference. Your ideas and
writing could be fantastic, but if your presentation
is poor, few people will want to read your writing.
• If you write your final folktale by hand, make
sure to form the letters clearly and leave the
same amount of space between words. If you
type your folktale on a computer, make sure to
choose a readable font and double-space the
lines of text.
• Leave a big enough margin (space) around your
writing so that the page does not look sloppy
or cramped.
• Include a title and page numbers so that readers can follow your organization.
• If you enjoy drawing, you might include one or
more illustrations. You could, instead, use illustrations from other sources. (Look at “We Are
All One” and “Aunty Misery” for ideas if you
want to illustrate your folktale.)
What Is Presentation?
Presentation is the way words and design elements such as titles and illustrations look on a
page. When you are making notes or jotting down
ideas, it does not matter much what your writing
looks like. It’s just for you at that point. But when
you are preparing any final assignment, you want
to make it look polished and professional.
Why Is Presentation
Important in My Writing?
• A neat, clean presentation makes your work
more inviting.
• Readers will take your writing more seriously if
it looks like you put time into the presentation.
• A thoughtful presentation makes your work
easy to understand and is more likely to get
your ideas across.
Write to Learn After you edit your writing, follow the guidelines above to make a clean, neat
draft of your folktale.
Analyzing Cartoons
It only takes the guy on the left a
quick look to see that his friend’s
report is better than usual. He knows
that good presentation makes any
written assignment more inviting.
© 20 05
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726 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Randy Glasbergen
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 2
Editing Checklist
For your final copy, read your folktale aloud and use the Editing Checklist to
help you spot errors. Use the proofreading symbols in the chart on page R19
to mark needed corrections.
✓ Sentences are complete. There are no fragments or run-ons.
❑
✓ Compound and complex sentences are correctly punctuated.
❑
✓ Spelling and capitalization are correct (Remember that the first word in
❑
each line of dialogue should be capitalized).
✓
❑ Quotation marks and end punctuation are in the correct places.
✓ English conventions are broken only to create a specific effect.
❑
Presenting
Show It Off
You’ve probably made a lot of changes to your folktale, so now make a
clean copy of it. If you’re writing by hand, copy your folktale neatly in print
or cursive on a separate piece of paper. If you’re using a computer, make
your changes and corrections and print a clean copy.
Follow these steps to make a class binder called Folktales of Our Times.
1. Make a cover for your story. On a clean sheet of paper, neatly write the
name of your folktale in fancy lettering.
2. Add illustrations that represent the action or the theme of your story. You
may also cut and paste images from magazines or images downloaded
from your computer.
3. If you want, you can also decorate the pages of your story or add pages
with designs and images.
4. Three-hole punch your papers and put them all in a binder. You may
want to work with your classmates to design a cover for the binder, too.
Active Writing Model
The beginning of the folktale
starts right away with the action
of the story.
The writer develops Jack’s
character by showing that he
has a wild imagination.
Writing Tip
Spelling Check your writing
against a list of commonly
confused or misused words.
Common mistakes include
their/they’re/there, its/it’s, and
your/you’re.
Writing Tip
Punctuation Place a question
mark or exclamation point
inside quotation marks when it
punctuates the quotation and
outside when it punctuates the
main sentence.
Writing Tip
Handwriting The slant of
your writing should be consistent, whether you are printing
or writing in cursive.
Writer’s Model
Sir John J. Rabbit strolled across the park. He had just
come from tea with the Queen and the other knights.
Well, he hadn’t actually been inside the palace. Or seen
the Queen. Or drunk a single sip of tea. But, in his imagination, it had been a very nice tea party. He only imagined
being a knight too. (To everyone else, he was Jack.) Being
“Sir John” was just much more interesting.
Writing Workshop Part 2
Modern Folktale 727
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 2
Active Writing Model
The writer uses third-person
point of view here and throughout the story. The words “me,”
“my,” and “I” appear only in
dialogue.
This dialogue gives clues to
Jack’s character and lets readers
“hear” how he speaks.
The writer plays with the
conventions of writing to create a specific effect. Here and
elsewhere, the writer uses an
incomplete sentence to show
that one character interrupted
the other.
The setting is vague, but the
park, the street, and the taxi
let readers know that the story
takes place in a city.
The theme is stated indirectly,
through the events of the
folktale.
Writer’s Model
As he was about to cross the street, a few leaves blew
into his face. “My word!” he said, brushing them away.
“Was that a cyclone? How interesting!” Now, Jack had
never seen or heard or been in a cyclone. He’d never even
been anyplace where there’d ever been a cyclone. It was
just such an interesting word.
Suddenly, he bumped into someone. It was Duke Lion.
(He wasn’t a real duke. He had as much royal blood as a
turnip has, and his name was Dan D. Lion.)
“Oh, my dear sir,” said Jack, “forgive me. The cyclone, you
see—”
“Cyclone? Cyclone! Cyclone!” For such a big, strong
beast, Dan tended to be rather nervous. “Where’s the
cyclone? What shall I do? Where can I hide? How—”
“Relax, dear fellow,” said Jack. “You look as though
you’re going to faint. Lie down on the ground.”
“The wind might blow me away!”
“Maybe if you held on to that tree…” Jack suggested.
“Are there ants?” asked Dan. “Ants make me jumpy.”
Jack thought a bit longer. “Why don’t I tie you to the
Queen’s water fountain?” Jack asked, as he pointed to a
taxicab parked in the street.
Dan was confused, but he was running out of time so
he let Jack tie him to the taxi. After being firmly tied to
the taxi for a few minutes, however, he grew impatient.
“Where’s the cyclone? And,” he went on, “what is a cyclone?”
Sir John J. Rabbit didn’t hear the question. In fact,
he barely noticed the now-distant roar of Dan D. Lion.
The taxicab had driven away, and the knight was lost in
thought. “I wonder when the Queen’s enemies will strike
next. We knights must protect her.”
728 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
WRITING WORKSHOP PART 2
Listening, Speaking, and Viewing
Storytelling
Storytelling is a very old tradition and a great way
to share a tale.
What Is Storytelling?
Storytelling is just what it looks like—telling a
story. The term storyteller refers to a person who
passes down traditional stories or who creates
and tells new stories.
Why Is Storytelling Important?
Stories are entertaining, but they can also teach
you about yourself, others, and the world. They
can help you figure out who you are and who you
want to be. And you can learn about others’ experiences through stories.
How Do I Tell a Story?
Whether you’re spinning a tale you know by heart
or telling a story you’ve written yourself, the following guidelines can help.
• Practice, practice, practice! Learn your story well
enough so you don’t have to read it word-forword. Practice in front of a mirror or in front of
a friend who can provide feedback.
• Stand or sit with good posture; it helps your
voice to carry.
• Look at your listeners. When they return your
gaze, you have their attention. Maintain eye
contact as you speak.
• Change positions from time to time so that you
don’t get tense.
• Vary your volume and pacing to fit the story.
• Keep checking your listeners’ responses. If they
fidget, ask yourself why.
• Change your voice, posture, and gestures to fit
your characters.
• Use silence. A well-timed pause is powerful.
When your story’s action peaks, pause for a
beat. Let your listeners feel the suspense.
Share Your Story Tell your folktale to a small
group of listeners. Practice your story enough so
you can maintain eye contact with your audience.
Use the guidelines above to really bring your
audience into your story.
When you’re finished, ask the listeners to comment, using these questions as guides:
• Which of my techniques were especially effective?
• What is one change that might improve my
storytelling?
Analyzing Cartoons
Before TVs, CDs, DVDs, and
video games, storytelling
was what entertainment was
all about. Today, storytelling links us to other places,
people, and events—past
and present, far and near.
What? You’ve never heard
a story—or told one?
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Writing Workshop Part 2
Modern Folktale 729
Universal Press Syndicate
READING WORKSHOP 4
Skills Focus
You will practice using these skills when you
read the following selections:
• “Voices—and Stories—from the Past,” p. 734
• “Aunty Misery,” p. 742
Reading
• Analyzing
Literature
• Recognizing and understanding dialect
• Understanding what dialect contributes
to a nonfiction selection
Vocabulary
• Distinguishing between literal
and metaphoric meanings
• Academic Vocabulary:
analyzing
Skill Lesson
Analyzing
Learn It!
What Is It? Analyzing is looking at separate parts
of a thing so that you can better understand the
whole thing. When you read, you analyze the different parts of a selection in order to understand the
whole selection. For example, to analyze
• characters, think about what they think, do, and say
• plot, think about the problem or conflict, the
events, the climax, and the resolution
• an informational essay, think about main ideas
and supporting details
Analyzing Art
Writing/Grammar
This man looks deep in thought. He
may be analyzing a problem. When you
analyze something, you look
at its separate
parts to help you
understand the
entire thing.
• Identifying and correcting
run-on sentences
Objectives (pp. 730–731)
Reading Analyze text
Academic Vocabulary
analyzing (AN uh ly zing) n. the act of taking something apart to
examine the separate pieces
730 UNIT 6
Images.com/CORBIS
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
Why Is It Important? Analyzing helps you look carefully at a piece of
writing. When you analyze a selection, you’ll learn the author’s purpose for
writing. You’ll figure out what a character is really like. Analyzing can also
help you understand characters’ actions.
How Do I Do It? Think about what the author says through characters,
setting, and plot, particularly when analyzing fiction. Also look at the
characters’ values, and the author’s style to figure out the story’s theme.
To analyze informational text, look at the main ideas and how the piece
is organized.
Below are points from a fictional story.
• Crystal, Sara, and May are sisters.
• They each have different interests and groups of
friends. Crystal loves theater, Sara is a
cheerleader, and May is in the National Honor
Society.
• Crystal is falsely accused of cheating on a test.
The PTA wants to make an example of her,
although she did nothing wrong.
• Sara and May rally around their sister. Three
very different groups of teenagers come together
to protest unfair treatment.
Study Central Visit www.glencoe
.com and click on Study Central to
review analyzing.
Three different sisters—what kind of girls are they?
Crystal has to be smart to learn all those lines, so why
would she cheat? At least her sisters believe her. They all
must be pretty popular to be able to get all their friends
to protest for Crystal. I guess the main thing is even
though they’re different, they’re still sisters.
Practice It!
Look back at a story or article you have already read from this book.
Choose a paragraph or two. Look at the characters’ actions and what they
say and do in certain situations. Decide what the author may want you to
understand.
Use It!
As you read, remember how you examined parts of other selections in
order to get a better understanding of the whole work.
Reading Workshop 4 Analyzing 731
John Evans
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
Before You Read
Meet the Author
Kathryn Satterfield is the
editor of Time for Kids. She
shares stories because she
likes “the idea of being able
to reach out to a lot of people at once.”
Author Search For more
about Kathryn Satterfield, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Voices—and Stories—
from the Past
Vocabulary Preview
emancipation (ih man suh PAY shun) n. the act of freeing or being freed,
as from slavery (p. 734) Enslaved people dreamed of emancipation and
a new life.
contemporary (KUN tem puh rair ee) adj. living now; of the present time
(p. 736) The American Memory Web site is a great resource for contemporary Americans.
illuminate (ih LOO muh nayt) v. to light up; make clear (p. 736) The
stories on the Web site illuminate the life of slavery.
Write to Learn For each vocabulary word, write a sentence using the
word correctly.
English Language Coach
Literal and Metaphoric Word Meanings A metaphor is a way of
describing something by saying it is something else. The two things are
actually very different, but they are similar in some way. For example, “Rex
is a bear of a man” is a metaphor. It uses the word bear to suggest that Rex
is big and powerful.
Most words started out with just one meaning and gradually developed
more. Originally, a rat was only an animal. It came to also have the meaning “one who is disloyal” because it was so often used metaphorically to
mean this.
Here is a word you will read in “Voices—and Stories—from the Past.”
Early
Meaning
low place, dip
depression
Metaphoric
Meaning
low place in
the economy
Objectives (pp. 732–737)
Reading Analyze text • Make connections from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements:
dialect
Vocabulary Distinguish literal from
metaphoric meanings
Partner Talk The underlined words below use meanings that developed
metaphorically over time. Work with a partner to decide what each word
probably means.
1. What he said was full of poisonous lies.
2. Her response to my question was icy.
732 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
Skills Preview
Get Ready to Read
Key Reading Skill: Analyzing
Connect to the Reading
Before you read “Voices—and Stories—from the Past,”
think about the purpose of the parts of an informational article:
• What are the main ideas in the introduction, body,
and conclusion?
• What information do the headings provide?
Reflect on things you have learned about slavery
through books and television. History doesn’t capture
what slavery was really like—only those who were
there can truly tell the story. How would you feel to be
enslaved? How would it feel to taste freedom?
Write to Learn Use your Learner’s Notebook to jot
down what you already know about the parts of informational articles. Keep your ideas in mind as you read
the selection.
Key Literary Element: Dialect
Dialect is the language spoken in one area or by one
group of people. When we read dialect, it is different
from words we usually see in print. Words are spelled
differently—they are spelled according to how the
speaker pronounces them. The grammar is usually in
non-standard English. Some forms of dialect even
have their own vocabulary. Some of the quotations
you read in “Voices—and Stories—from the Past” are
written in the dialects that they were spoken in.
Use this tip to understand and appreciate dialect:
• Try to hear each speaker.
How is the voice different from your own?
List-Group-Label Think of the different regions of
the United States and try to list the dialects. Do you
have cousins in the South? Do they sound different
from you? What about a friend from the East Coast?
As a class, share your examples. Group the examples
and label them with the names of places or groups of
speakers.
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook
To review or learn more about the literary
elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
List Ideas With a small group, predict what you may
hear in the voices and words of former enslaved
Americans.
Build Background
This article is about a remarkable collection of voices
telling stories of what it was like to live in slavery.
• The Library of Congress is our national library. It
contains the history of the United States in many
forms of media.
• Finding the important pieces of African American
history can sometimes be difficult. Often, museums
and archives in the past did not think this history
was important.
• The people who conducted these interviews tried to
record the spoken dialect of the formerly enslaved
people as closely as possible.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read “Voices—and Stories—from
the Past” to learn what life was like for some enslaved
persons in America.
Set Your Own Purpose What would you like to
learn from the selection to help you answer the Big
Question? Write your own purpose on the “Voices—
and Stories—from the Past” page of Foldable 6.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
Voices—and Stories—from the Past 733
Library of Congress
READING WORKSHOP 4
History, as told by the
people who lived it
By KATHRYN SATTERFIELD
T
SARAH ASHLEY was 93 when she recalled her days on a
Texas plantation.
he American Civil War (1861–1865) freed some
4 million people from slavery. Every one of these
people had a story to tell about their lives. Now, two
Slave Narratives collections at the Library of
Congress give people around the world a chance to hear and
read some of those stories. 1
In January 2004, the Library of Congress released a
collection of audio recordings, Voices from the Days of Slavery.
For the first time, 23 recordings of interviews with formerly
enslaved African Americans—as told in their own voices—
can be heard online at the Library of Congress’s American
Memory website.
Speaking at least 60 years after their emancipation, the
African American storytellers discuss their experiences as
enslaved people. They also tell about their lives as free men
and women. Written transcripts are provided to help listeners
follow along.
Visitors to the site can hear people like Charlie Smith recall
coming from Africa as an enslaved boy and working on a
ranch in Texas.
Vocabulary
emancipation (ih man suh PAY shun) n. the act of freeing or being freed, as
from slavery
734 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Library of Congress
1
Reviewing Skills
Predicting Quickly skim the
headings in this article. What
type of information do you
predict you will read about the
formerly enslaved people?
The audio recordings
on the website were made
between 1932 and 1975.
Language and folklore
experts and others
working to preserve
American history
conducted the interviews
in nine southern states.
Isom Moseley was just
a boy at the time of
emancipation, but he
recalls that things were
slow to change. “It was a
JAMES GREEN, shown here in 1937, told of being
bought for $800.
year before the folks
knowed they was free,”
he says.
Michael Taft, the head of the library’s archive1 of folk
culture, says the recordings help reveal something that
written stories cannot. “The power of hearing someone speak
is so much greater than reading something from the page,”
Taft says. “It’s how something is said—the dialect, the
low pitches, the pauses—that helps tell the story.” 2
2
Key Reading Skill
Analyzing Here, Taft analyzes
the things that make hearing
someone speak powerful. What
advantages are there to reading someone’s words instead of
hearing them?
3
English Language Coach
Literal and Metaphoric Word
Meanings Has the writer used
the early meaning of depression
here or the metaphoric meaning
that developed over time? How
do you know?
The Narratives in Print
If you want to read stories of formerly enslaved
African Americans, the Library of Congress’s
American Memory website also offers print versions
of their stories. During the Great Depression of the
1930s, the federal government hired out-of-work
writers to interview and record the experiences and
opinions of everyday people. As part of this project,
thousands of formerly enslaved people in 17 states
were interviewed. 3
One result of these oral history interviews is the
Born in Slavery collection, a set of 2,300 autobiographical
documents. The interviewers—most of whom were
white—made an effort to capture in writing the
speech patterns of the men and women with whom
they spoke.
1. An archive (AR kyv) is a collection of items kept safe for the future in a special place.
Library of Congress
Library of Congress
READING WORKSHOP 4
JENNY PROCTOR began working in the cotton
fields when she was 10. She was 87 when she
shared her memories of slavery.
Voices—and Stories—from the Past 735
(l r)Library of Congress
READING WORKSHOP 4
Courtesy Polk County Democrat
These interviews gave formerly enslaved
African Americans a chance to share their
memories of life in bondage. For contemporary
Americans, the audio and print versions of the
Slave Narratives provide historical accounts of
what it was like to be enslaved in the United
States. The narratives reflect the time and place at
which they were created. They illuminate a world
that is important for all Americans to explore.
Following are excerpts from the Slave Narratives
collections. 4
Masters, the Big House, and Learning
Enslaved people started working at a very early age:
CHARLIE SMITH spoke to interviewers in 1975.
many began their labors in the master’s house, where
they served as playmates for white children. Despite this closeness,
African American and white children could not attend school
4 English Language Coach
together. In fact, in most states it was against the law for enslaved
Literal and Metaphoric Word
people to be educated.
“My earliest recollection is the day my old boss presented
me to his son, Joe, as his property. I was about 5 years old,
and my new master was only 2. . . . No, sir, I never went into
books. I used to handle a big dictionary three times a day,
but it was only to put it on a chair so my young master could
sit up higher at the table. I never went to school. I learned
to talk pretty good by associating with my masters in their
big house.”
—Martin Jackson, Texas
“I remember quite well how those poor little children used
to have to eat. They were fed in boxes and troughs, under
the house. They were fed cornmeal mush and beans. When
this was poured into their box they would gather around
it the same as we see pigs, horses, and cattle gather around
troughs today.”
—Octavia George, Oklahoma
“None of us was ’lowed [allowed] to see a book or try to
learn. Dey say we git smarter den dey was if we learn
anything, but we slips around and gits hold of dat Webster’s
Vocabulary
contemporary (KUN tem puh rair ee) adj. living now; of the present time
illuminate (ih LOO muh nayt) v. to light up; make clear
736 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Courtesy Polk County Democrat
Meanings Do you think reflect
is being used with its earliest
meaning, here, or one that developed metaphorically? Why?
READING WORKSHOP 4
old blue-back speller, and we hides it ’til way in de night, and
den we lights a little pine torch . . . and studies dat spellin’
book. We learn it too.”
—Jenny Proctor, Texas
Work
By age 12, most children worked in the fields, where they grew crops
like tobacco, rice, and cotton. Enslaved people generally worked six
days a week, from sunrise to sunset.
“Bells and horn! Bells for dis, and horns for dat! All we
knowed was go and come by de bells and horns! Old ram
horn blow to send us all to de field. We all line up, about 75
field [workers], and go by de tool shed and git our hoes, or
maybe go hitch up de mules to de plows.”
—Charley Williams, Arkansas
“I used to have to pick cotton, and sometime I pick 300
pound and tote it a mile to de cotton house. Some pick 300 to
800 pound cotton and have to tote de bag de whole mile to de
gin2. Iffen dey didn’t do dey work, dey git whip till dey have
blister on ’em. . . . I never git whip, ’cause I allus git my 300
pound.” 5
—Sarah Ashley, Texas
5
Dialect This page includes good
examples of dialect. Which words
are different from words you
might write or say?
Slave Family Life
Approximately one in three enslaved families was split apart. Onefifth of all enslaved children were separated from their parents.
“I never knowed my age till after de war . . . and then
marster gits out a big book, and it shows I’s 25 year old. It
shows I’s 12 when I is bought and $800 is paid for me. . . . My
mammy was owned by John Williams in Petersburg, in
Virginia, and I come born to her on dat plantation. . . . Then,
one day along come a Friday, and that a unlucky star day, and
I playin’ round de house, and Marster Williams come up and
say, ‘Delis will you ’low Jim walk down de street with me?’
My mammy say, ‘All right, Jim, you be a good boy,’ and dat
de las’ time I ever heard her speak, or ever see her.” 6
—James Green, Texas
—Updated 2005, from TIME for Kids, February 6, 2004
2. The word gin (jin) refers to the cotton gin, a machine that removes sticky seeds from cotton.
The invention of the cotton gin led to a great increase in the number of enslaved persons in
America because cotton then became highly profitable.
Key Literary Element
6
Why is it important that the
stories of formerly enslaved
people be shared? Write your
answer on the “Voices—and
Stories—from the Past” page
of Foldable 6. Your response
will help you complete the Unit
Challenge later.
Voices—and Stories—from the Past 737
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
After You Read
Voices—and Stories—
from the Past
Answering the
1. Why do you think these people wanted to share their stories? Explain
your answers with details from the article.
2. Recall Who conducted these interviews?
T IP Right There
3. Summarize In two or three sentences, describe the work and family
life of enslaved people. Base your summary on facts from this article.
T IP Author and Me
Critical Thinking
4. Compare and Contrast The Library of Congress released two
collections: Voices from the Days of Slavery and Born in Slavery. List
three ways in which these two collections are alike and/or different.
T IP Think and Search
5. Evaluate Slavery officially ended in 1863. What do you think would
have happened if we had waited any longer to interview former slaves?
T IP On My Own
Write About Your Reading
Make a cluster diagram, spider web, or other graphic organizer to show the
main parts of this article and what you learned about slavery from reading
the article.
Objectives (pp. 738–739)
Reading Analyze text
Literature Identify literary elements:
dialect
Vocabulary Distinguish literal from
metaphoric meanings
Writing Create a graphic organizer
Grammar Identify run-on sentences
Your organizer should show facts about how enslaved people lived. Include
details about topics such as these:
• Plantation work
• Education
• Family life and life on the plantation
Share your work with a partner. Talk about the best ways to combine your
work into one organizer that shows the most important ideas.
738 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Library of Congress
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Analyzing
6. You did some reading and thinking before you
read “Voices—and Stories—from the Past.” Decide
how helpful each activity listed below was to you
by rating it as very helpful, helpful, or not helpful.
Explain why. Look back at page 733 if you need
help recalling the activity.
• Reviewing the parts of an informational article
• Reading the facts in Build Background
• Setting a purpose for your reading
Key Literary Element: Dialect
7. Write one example of dialect in this article.
8. How does dialect help you experience the voices
from the past?
Reviewing Skills: Predicting
9. Explain what you were able to correctly predict
about what you read in this selection by using the
title, illustrations, or headings.
Grammar Link:
Run-on Sentences
Do not run two or more sentences together. This mistake is called a run-on sentence.
Run-on: Randi plays her guitar it relaxes her.
It’s also incorrect to separate sentences by putting just
a comma between them.
Wrong: Randi plays her guitar, it relaxes her.
To fix a run-on sentence, separate the sentences with a
period. Or put a comma and a coordinating conjunction between the run-together sentences.
Period: Randi plays her guitar. It relaxes her.
(,) and coordinating conjunction: Randi plays her
guitar, and it relaxes her.
You can also fix a run-on sentence by adding a subordinating conjunction to one of the clauses.
Subordinating conjunction: Randi plays her guitar
because it relaxes her.
Vocabulary Check
For 10–12, copy the vocabulary words. After each
word, add its correct meaning.
10. emancipation
current or present
11. contemporary
to shed light on
12. illuminate
the act of granting freedom
13. Academic Vocabulary What do you think it
was like for a person to eat from a feeding
trough or not to be able to learn to read?
Analyze and explain.
14. English Language Coach Charley Williams
describes the bells and horns that sent workers to
their plows. Given what you know about plows
and the work involved in using them, what do
you think plow means in this statement: “I can’t
go to bed until I plow through this homework”?
Grammar Practice
On another piece of paper, copy and fix the following
run-on sentence two different ways.
It takes practice to play well Randi doesn’t mind.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Voices—and Stories—from the Past 739
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
Before You Read
Aunty Misery
Vocabulary Preview
Ju d
i t h O r t iz C o fer
Meet the Author
Judith Ortiz Cofer was born
in Puerto Rico in 1952. Today,
she lives in Georgia, but her
close ties to a Spanishspeaking culture show up in
“Aunty Misery” and many of
her other works. As she says,
“I’ve just brought the island
with me.” See page R2 of the
Author Files for more on
Judith Ortiz Cofer.
Author Search For more
about Judith Ortiz Cofer, go to
www.glencoe.com.
sorcerer (SOR sur ur) n. a person who practices magic with the help of
spirits (p. 743) The sorcerer cast a spell to help Aunty Misery.
taunt (tawnt) v. to make fun of in a mean way (p. 744) Children often
stopped to taunt Aunty Misery.
gnarled (narld) adj. rough, twisted, and knotty, as a tree trunk or branches
(p. 744) That gnarled tree hadn’t grown straight for many years.
potions (POH shunz) n. drinks, especially drinks that are supposed to have
magical powers (p. 745) People stopped buying medicines and potions,
believing they weren’t necessary.
Write to Learn For each vocabulary word, write a clue, such as “It can
describe a tree trunk.” Have a partner name the word.
English Language Coach
Literal and Metaphoric Word Meanings A metaphor is a comparison
between two unlike things that says that one is the other. “The team’s
catcher was a tank” is a metaphor because the catcher isn’t actually a tank;
he’s just big and strong and hard to overcome, like an army tank.
If a word is used metaphorically for long enough, its metaphoric meaning
may become one of its literal meanings—an actual meaning found in a
dictionary. So if you plant your feet, you just put them down firmly. A man
with a heart of gold does not have metal in his chest. Pearls of wisdom are
simply valuable bits of knowledge.
If you know one meaning of a word, such as plant, you can usually figure
out a meaning that developed metaphorically. Or if a word is used metaphorically, such as tank, you can usually figure out what is being suggested
by its use. As with many other vocabulary skills, you can use what you
know to figure out what you don’t know.
Objectives (pp. 740–745)
Reading Analyze text • Make connections
from text to self
Literature Identify literary elements: dialect
Vocabulary Distinguish literal from metaphoric meanings
Partner Talk Each underlined word below has a meaning that developed
metaphorically from its original meaning. Work with a partner to decide
what is meant by each sentence.
1. Isn’t that big car a gas hog?
2. Give me time to digest the idea.
3. The police officer chased the thief and collared him.
4. The workers were unhappy that their boss was such a dinosaur.
740 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Miriam Berkley
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
Skills Preview
Reading Skill: Analyzing
• Relate the words to the characters, the plot, or the
theme.
What do the words tell you about the story?
Analyzing a story involves looking at the different
parts and the way they work together. As you read
“Aunty Misery,” think about these parts of the story:
• Character: Who is the main character and what kind
of person is this character?
• Setting: What do you learn about the setting? Is it
very clear and realistic? Is it simple, like a poster or
a mural?
• Plot: Does the plot move logically from one event to
the next?
• Theme: What seems to be the main message the
author wants you to come away with?
• Decide what using the words adds to the story.
How do these words make the story more interesting, true to life, wise, or funny?
Write to Learn Use your Learner’s Notebook to jot
down what you already know about analyzing stories.
Keep your ideas in mind as you read the selection and
use this skill.
Build Background
Key Literary Element: Dialect
When you read a story, you expect all the words to be
in English. Sometimes an author will use words from
another language in the story, especially if the author
is from another country or speaks another language.
Dialect can also be mixing words from two languages,
which is something that a native speaker would not
do. For example, La Tia Misery. La Tia is Spanish
for “aunt.” Native speakers would simply say La Tia
Miseria, or Aunt Misery.
Use these tips to help you figure out the effect of
those words.
• Learn what the words mean.
• Ask yourself: Why does the author put these words
and not other words in a different language?
Interactive Literary Elements Handbook
To review or learn more about the literary
elements, go to www.glencoe.com.
Get Ready to Read
Connect to the Reading
What good and bad things can everyone expect to
find, or “run into,” in life? As you read “Aunty Misery,”
think about how her problems are like and unlike
those of everyone else.
This folktale is set in a Spanish-speaking country in the
distant past.
• A folktale is a story that has been handed down.
This folktale has magical characters and presents
some events that could never really happen.
• In folktales, Death is often presented as a character
that comes to visit. Naturally, few characters are
happy to see him.
• Folktales often include trickster characters. Their
cleverness helps them overcome people or things
who are stronger or more powerful.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read “Aunty Misery” to see
how one culture tries to explain suffering and death.
Set Your Own Purpose
What would you like to learn from the selection to
help you answer the Big Question? Write your own
purpose on the “Aunty Misery” page of Foldable 6.
Keep Moving
Use these skills as you read the following
selection.
Aunty Misery 741
READING WORKSHOP 4
by Judith Ortiz Cofer
T
his is a story about an old, a very old woman who lived
alone in her little hut with no other company than a beautiful
pear tree that grew at her door. She spent all her time taking
care of this tree. The neighborhood children drove the old
woman crazy by stealing her fruit. They would climb her
tree, shake its delicate limbs, and run away with armloads of
golden pears, yelling insults at la Tia Miseria,1 Aunty Misery,
as they called her. 1
One day, a traveler stopped at the old woman’s hut and
asked her for permission to spend the night under her roof.
Aunty Misery saw that he had an honest face and bid the
pilgrim come in. She fed him and made a bed for him in
front of her hearth. In the morning the stranger told her that
he would show his gratitude for her hospitality by granting
her one wish.
1. La Tia Miseria (luh TEE uh mih zuh REE uh)
742 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Practice the Skills
1
Key Reading Skill
Analyzing Think about the
main character. Does she have a
family? How does she spend her
time? Why does the tree mean
so much to her? What problem
does she have?
READING WORKSHOP 4
Still Life with Skull, 1895–1900. Paul Cezanne. Oil on canvas. ©The Barnes
Foundation, Merion, PA.
“There is only one thing that I desire,” said Aunty Misery.
“Ask, and it shall be yours,” replied the stranger, who was
a sorcerer in disguise.
“I wish that anyone who climbs up my pear tree should
not be able to come back down until I permit it.”
“Your wish is granted,” said the stranger, touching the
pear tree as he left Aunty Misery’s house. 2
Practice the Skills
2
Reviewing Skills
Understanding Cause and
Effect What causes the stranger
to grant Aunty Misery’s wish?
Vocabulary
sorcerer (SOR sur ur) n. a person who practices magic with the help of spirits
Aunty Misery 743
Bridgeman Art Library
READING WORKSHOP 4
And so it happened that when the children came back to
taunt the old woman and to steal her fruit, she stood at her
window watching them. Several of them shimmied2 up the
trunk of the pear tree and immediately got stuck to it as if
with glue. She let them cry and beg her for a long time before
she gave the tree permission to let them go on the condition
that they never again steal her fruit, or bother her. 3
Time passed and both Aunty Misery and her tree grew
bent and gnarled with age. One day another traveler stopped
at her door. This one looked untrustworthy to her, so before
letting him into her home the old woman asked him what he
was doing in her village. He answered her in a voice that was
dry and hoarse, as if he had swallowed a desert: “I am Death,
and I have come to take you with me.”
2. Shimmied means climbed by using the hands, arms, feet, and legs to pull and push oneself up.
Vocabulary
taunt (tawnt) v. to make fun of in a mean way
gnarled (narld) adj. rough, twisted, and knotty, as a tree trunk or branches
744 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Stapleton Collection/CORBIS
Practice the Skills
3
English Language Coach
Literal and Metaphoric
Word Meanings The original
meaning of stuck is “fastened to
something with a sharp object.”
How do you suppose the later
meanings “unable to move” and
“unable to go forward” developed from this?
READING WORKSHOP 4
Thinking fast Aunty Misery said, “All right, but before I
go I would like to pluck some pears from my beloved tree
to remember how much pleasure it brought me in this life.
But I am a very old woman and cannot climb to the tallest
branches where the best fruit is. Will you be so kind as to
do it for me?”
With a heavy sigh like wind through a tomb, Señor3 Death
climbed the pear tree. Immediately he became stuck to it as if
with glue. And no matter how much he cursed and threatened,
Aunty Misery would not allow the tree to release Death.
Many years passed and there were no deaths in the world.
The people who make their living from death began to
protest loudly. The doctors claimed no one bothered to come
in for examinations or treatments anymore, because they did
not fear dying; the pharmacists’ business suffered too because
medicines are, like magic potions, bought to prevent or
postpone the inevitable; priests and undertakers were
unhappy with the situation also, for obvious reasons. There
were also many old folks tired of life who wanted to pass on
to the next world to rest from miseries of this one. 4
La Tia Miseria was blamed by these people for their
troubles, of course. Not wishing to be unfair, the old woman
made a deal with her prisoner, Death: if he promised not ever
to come for her again, she would give him his freedom. He
agreed. And that is why there are two things you can always
count on running into in this world: Misery and Death: La
miseria y la muerte.4 5 ❍
Practice the Skills
4
Key Literary Element
Dialect If foreign words appear
often in a story, that may indicate
that it is written in a dialect. A
few foreign words can also give
the story a foreign feeling. Which
do you think is the case here?
5
Death has always been a fear
and a fascination for people.
Why do you think people have
shared this folktale again and
again? Write your answer on
the “Aunty Misery” page of
Foldable 6. Your response will
help you complete the Unit
Challenge later.
3. Señor (sen YOR) is Spanish for “Mister.”
4. Y la muerte (ee luh MWAIR tay)
Vocabulary
potions (POH shunz) n. drinks, especially drinks that are supposed to have
magical powers
Aunty Misery 745
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
After You Read
Aunty Misery
Answering the
1. Would you share this story with someone else? Why or why not?
2. Recall How does Aunty Misery punish the children who steal her
pears?
T IP Right There
3. Summarize What happens when the first stranger visits Aunty Misery?
T IP Think and Search
Critical Thinking
4. Analyze Aunty Misery is a problem solver. Support this statement with
two events from the story.
T IP Author and Me
5. Infer What causes Aunty Misery to finally make a deal with death?
T IP Author and Me
6. Evaluate Do you think this story has a good ending? Explain.
T IP On My Own
Talk About Your Reading
Objectives (pp. 746–747)
Reading Analyze text
Literature Identify literary elements:
dialect
Vocabulary Distinguish literal from metaphoric meanings
Writing Write a fable
Grammar Correct run-on sentences
Literature Groups Folktales like “Aunty Misery” are brief, but they usually have all the elements of a short story. With your group, identify these
elements of “Aunty Misery.”
• characters—the people in the story
• setting—the time and place
• plot—the events of the story
• moral—a lesson about right and wrong
Write to Learn Think about a fable you might write. On a separate sheet
of paper, make notes on the characters, setting, plot, and moral of your
own fable.
746 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Bridgeman Art Library
READING WORKSHOP 4 • Analyzing
Skills Review
Key Reading Skill: Analyzing
7. The story described the problems that occurred
when people could not die. In your opinion, what
good things would happen if people could not die?
Key Literary Element: Dialect
8. Which Spanish words appear in this story and
what do they mean?
Reviewing Skills: Understanding Cause
and Effect
9. Explain what causes Señor Death to get stuck in
Aunty Misery’s tree.
Vocabulary Check
Complete each group with the correct word from the
list.
sorcerer taunt gnarled potion
10.
11.
12.
13.
drink, beverage,
twisted, knotty,
tease, insult,
wizard, magician,
English Language Coach Each of the underlined
words is used with an easy meaning in “Aunty
Misery.” Use that meaning to figure out the related
meaning used in the question.
14. Which of the following is one of a person’s limbs?
• a backbone
• an ear
• an arm
Grammar Link:
Run-on Sentences
Run-on: I like baseball I like football even more.
Run-on: I like baseball, I like football even more.
Review the three ways to fix a run-on sentence:
A. Separate the sentences with a period.
• I like baseball. I like football even more.
B. Put a comma and a coordinating conjunction
between the sentences.
• I like baseball, but I like football even more.
C. Add a subordinating conjunction to one of the
clauses.
• Though I like baseball, I like football even more.
Grammar Practice
17. Copy the following paragraph on another piece
of paper. Then find and fix the two run-on sentences. Use any of the three ways shown above
to make your corrections.
Last summer my family and I
went to New York City. I had never
been in a big-city cab before, it was
quite an experience. At first the
traffic was heavy we just crawled
along. When we got out of the
traffic, the driver started speeding.
He was going so fast that I thought
we were going to crash. I was
relieved to reach our hotel.
15. A fruitful effort is one that
• has good results.
• bad results.
• no results.
16. If stories touch you, they
• bore you.
• confuse you.
• affect your feelings.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Aunty Misery 747
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
by Langston Hughes
&
by Li-Young Lee
Skills Focus
You will use these skills as you read and
compare the following selections:
• “Aunt Sue’s Stories,” p. 751
• “I Ask My Mother to Sing,” p. 753
Reading
• Comparing and contrasting
Literature
• Recognizing and analyzing
cultural context
Writing
• Writing a compare and
contrast essay
If you compare groups or singers, you probably think—
among other things—about the songs they perform, the
way you feel when you hear them, and the images that go
through your mind when you listen to them. When you
compare two poems, you also think about these things.
Poems can also make you feel a certain way and imagine
certain images.
How to Compare Literature: Cultural
Context
Before you can compare anything, you need to know what
points, or characteristics, you’ll use for your comparison.
When you read and compare “I Ask My Mother to Sing”
and “Aunt Sue’s Stories,” you’ll be looking especially at the
cultural context of each poem.
Cultural context involves the values, beliefs, goals, and
customs of a particular group of people or of a community.
The two poets you’ll look at in this workshop are both
Americans, but they have links to very different cultures. As
you read their poems, look for details that give you information about the cultural context. Consider these things:
Objectives (pp. 748–749)
Reading Compare and contrast:
cultural context
748 UNIT 6
•
•
•
•
setting
places mentioned
feelings expressed
what people in the
poem value
• references to past events
• experiences, shared
or otherwise
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
Get Ready to Compare
As you read, keep track of the cultural details in a chart like the one below.
Copy it into your Learner’s Notebook and take notes as you read the poems.
Categories
“Aunt Sue’s Stories”
“I Ask My Mother
to Sing”
Setting
Places
Mentioned
Feelings
Expressed
References To Past
Events
What People in the
Poem Value
Experiences—Shared
or Otherwise
Other Details
Use Your Comparison
After you read the selections, think about the influence
of cultural context and its power over what happens.
For example, in “I Ask My Mother to Sing,” the poet
says that both his mother and grandmother are crying.
Use the steps to think about how important culture is
to that moment:
1. Both are singing and thinking about another place,
another time.
2. What they are thinking about is something they
can no longer experience.
3. The speaker may share the emotion, but he
describes his mother and grandmother crying.
4. What the speaker feels may be different from what
the two women feel.
5. Therefore, cultural context seems to be key to what
people in the poem are feeling.
When you make your comparison later, you will use
these steps to figure out how important cultural context is in these two poems.
Comparing Literature Workshop 749
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
Before You Read
Aunt Sue’s Stories
Get Ready to Read
English Language Coach
Lan
gs to n H u g he s
Meet the Author
Langston Hughes was born
in Joplin, Missouri. He
attended Columbia University
in New York and quickly
became a major figure in the
Harlem Renaissance of the
1920s. Controversial for his
references to race, Hughes
was both praised and
attacked. He lived in many
places throughout the world
and died in New York in
1967. See page R4 of the
Author Files for more on
Langston Hughes.
Author Search For more
about Langston Hughes, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Double Meanings in Poetry When a word has both literal and metaphorical meanings, writers can never completely ignore either one. When
you read, you will often think of both meanings, whether you realize it or
not. In fact, poets count on you to “get” the different meanings.
In “Aunt Sue’s Stories,” Langston Hughes uses the phrase “the flow of
old Aunt Sue’s voice.” Aunt Sue is talking smoothly and without stopping.
That’s all it really means. But Hughes talks about black people mingling in
that flow. He expects you to think about and feel Aunt Sue’s voice as
a river.
As you read this poem, look for words that carry a lot of meaning. Say
the words of the poem out loud and feel the meanings those words have
for you.
Connect to the Reading
This poem is about people whose culture is rooted in America, though they
came from another land originally. African slaves were brought from Africa,
and the culture of slavery left a deep mark on the entire country.
Think back to what you know about slavery. If you didn’t grow up in this
country and never studied that subject, don’t worry. Classmates may be
able to help you out. As you read, try to get a sense of how the people in
the poem feel about their experiences and how alive the past is for them.
Set Purposes for Reading
Read to find out how the speaker in the poem thinks
about the stories his aunt has to tell.
Set Your Own Purpose
Objectives (pp. 750–751)
Reading Compare and contrast: cultural
context
Vocabulary Interpret metaphorical
meanings
What would you like to learn about the experiences and stories of the people in the poem? Write your own purpose on the Comparing Literature
page of Foldable 6.
750 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The New York Public Library - Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundation
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
by Langston Hughes
5
Aunt Sue has a head full of stories.
Aunt Sue has a whole heart full of stories. 1
Summer nights on the front porch
Aunt Sue cuddles a brown-faced child to her bosom
And tells him stories.
Under the Midnight Blues, 2003. Colin Bootman.
Oil on board. Private collection.
Black slaves
Working in the hot sun,
And black slaves
Walking in the dewy night,*
10 And black slaves
Singing sorrow songs* on the banks of a mighty river 2
Mingle themselves softly
In the flow of old Aunt Sue’s voice,
Mingle themselves softly
15 In the dark shadows that cross and recross
Aunt Sue’s stories.
And the dark-faced child, listening,
Knows that Aunt Sue’s stories are real stories.
He knows that Aunt Sue never got her stories
20 Out of any book at all,
But that they came
Right out of her own life.
The dark-faced child is quiet
Of a summer night
25 Listening to Aunt Sue’s stories. 3 ❍
9. Dewy (DOO ee) means “covered with dew,” the moisture that settles on plants and grass
during the night or early morning.
11. Sorrow songs refers to music like the blues, spirituals, and other traditional African American
songs.
Practice the Skills
1
English Language Coach
Double Meanings in
Poetry Is a “whole heart full”
any different from “a heart full”?
Do you think you’re supposed to
think of more than one meaning
for heart ?
2
Comparing Literature
Cultural Context Two rivers
have strong associations with
slavery. The Ohio River divided
slave states from free states.
Many slaves worked plantations
near the Mississippi River and in
its ports.
3
Why does Aunt Sue tell her stories? Write your answer on the
Comparing Literature page of
Foldable 6.
Aunt Sue’s Stories 751
Colin Bootman/Bridgeman Art Library
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
Before You Read
I Ask My Mother
to Sing
Get Ready to Read
Connect to the Reading
L i -Yo u n g L e e
Meet the Author
Li-Young Lee was born in
1957 in Indonesia of Chinese
parents. His family left
Indonesia because of antiChinese attitudes there. They
came to the United States in
1964. Lee currently lives in
Chicago with his wife and
children. Asked how he
creates poetry, Lee replied, “I
am on the job twenty-four
hours a day. I’m absorbing it.
I just absorb it.” See page R4
of the Author Files for more
on Li-Young Lee.
You’re going to read a poem about people whose cultural heritage is from
China. You may already know a lot about China, and this could help you
with the reading. Don’t worry, though, if you’ve never heard of the places
the poem mentions. What’s important is to imagine the scene the poem
paints. Try to connect the poem to your own experience.
Build Background
• Li-Young Lee spent his early childhood in Asia but never lived in China.
He was educated in the United States.
• Lee’s father read to him in both Chinese (poems) and English (the King
James Bible).
• Peking is an old name for Beijing (bay JING), the capital of the Republic
of China. The Summer Palace was one of several beautiful palaces in
Beijing built by the Chinese emperors.
• The Stone Boat is an amazing work of art at the Summer Palace. Not a
real boat, it’s made of marble and has colored glass windows.
• According to an old Chinese saying, “water can carry the boat as well as
overturn it.” It means that water (symbolizing the people) can keep the
royal boat (the country’s leader or government) floating but can also
make it sink.
Set Purposes for Reading
Author Search For more
about Li-Young Lee, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Read to find out how the speaker relates to his
mother’s song and how he feels about it.
Set Your Own Purpose
What would you like to learn about the experiences and stories of the
people in the poem? Write your own purpose on the Comparing Literature
page of Foldable 6.
Objectives (pp. 752–753)
Reading Compare and contrast: cultural
context
752 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Dorothy Alexander
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
by Li-Young Lee
5
She begins, and my grandmother joins her.
Mother and daughter sing like young girls.
If my father were alive, he would play
his accordion and sway like a boat.
I’ve never been in Peking, or the Summer Palace,
nor stood on the great Stone Boat to watch
the rain begin on Kuen Ming Lake, the picnickers
running away in the grass. 1
Practice the Skills
1
Cultural Context What details
help you imagine the scene that
the poem describes? List them
on your Comparison Chart.
But I love to hear it sung;
10 how the waterlilies fill with rain*
until they overturn, spilling water into water,
then rock back, and fill with more.
Both women have begun to cry.
But neither stops her song. 2 ❍
10. Waterlilies have large, showy flowers and big, flat leaves that float on the water.
Comparing Literature
2
The speaker’s mother sings a
song about life in another country. The song makes the speaker
think about memories of the
past. What does the song seem
to mean to the speaker?
I Ask My Mother to Sing 753
Keren Su/CORBIS
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
After You Read
&
Reading/Critical Thinking
1. Infer The first two lines of “Aunt Sue’s Stories” are:
Aunt Sue has a head full of stories.
Aunt Sue has a whole heart full of stories.
What is the difference in meaning between the two lines?
T IP Think and Search
2. Infer What does the speaker mean when he says that “Aunt Sue never
got her stories / Out of any book at all”?
T IP Author and Me
3. Analyze How do the two poems differ in their use of figurative
language?
T IP Think and Search
Objectives (pp. 754–755)
Reading Compare and contrast: cultural
context
Writing Create a chart to compare and
contrast texts
4. Interpret How does the speaker’s attachment to the culture of China
compare with that of his mother and grandmother?
T IP Author and Me
5. Infer At the end of the poem, why do the women continue to sing,
even though they are crying?
T IP Author and Me
754 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
(t)Colin Bootman/Bridgeman Art Library, (b)Keren Su/CORBIS
COMPARING LITERATURE WORKSHOP
Writing: Compare the
Literature
Use Your Notes
Get It on Paper
Follow these steps to use the notes on your
Comparison Chart to compare the cultural context in
“I Ask My Mother to Sing” and “Aunt Sue’s Stories.”
To show what you think about the importance of cultural context in “I Ask My Mother to Sing” and “Aunt
Sue’s Stories,” copy and complete these statements on
a separate sheet of paper.
1. In “I Ask My Mother to Sing,” references to place
are important because (add your ideas).
2. The most important aspect of culture in “I Ask My
Mother to Sing” is (add your ideas) because (add
your reasons).
3. In “Aunt Sue’s Stories,” cultural context is
important because (add your ideas).
4. The most important aspect of culture in “Aunt
Sue’s Stories” is (add your ideas) because (add
your reasons using details from the Comparison
Chart).
Step 1: Look over the chart you completed.
Underline the details that are similar for both
selections. Circle the details that are different.
Step 2: On a separate sheet of paper, make a
list of those details that are similar and those that
are different.
Step 3: Look at the new list you’ve made. For
example, both poems bring out feelings of sorrow
about the past. Think about whether that means
the people in both poems feel sorry that the past
is behind them or whether they have quite different feelings about the past.
Step 4: Notice which cultural points are important in both poems and which are important in
just one of the poems. You will use this information to back up your statements in the assignment. Put a check beside the details that are most
important to the speaker.
5. In both poems, the cultural context of the past
was something that the speaker and his family
(choose: grieved for or wanted to return to or felt
completely differently about) as shown in the stories that they tell.
Web Activities For eFlashcards, Selection
Quick Checks, and other Web activities, go to
www.glencoe.com.
Comparing Literature Workshop 755
UNIT 6
WRAP-UP
Answering
Why Do We
Share Our
Stories?
You’ve just read folktales, stories, and poems that help you think about why we share our stories.
Now use what you’ve learned to do the Unit Challenge.
The Unit Challenge
Choose Activity A or Activity B and follow the directions for that activity.
A. Group Activity: Sharing-Stories Reading List
Best-of-the-best lists are always popular. There
are lists of the best movies, songs, and music
videos. Now it’s your turn to make a list.
• You and four other students will share your
favorite stories by listing what you think are
the ten best stories for kids your age.
1. Discuss the Assignment
• Choose one group member to be the
note-taker for the discussion.
• Use your Unit 6 Foldable to review your
notes about why we share our stories.
• Recall funny stories like “Charles” as well
as serious stories like “The Boy and His
Grandfather.” Are these the kinds of stories
that kids will like?
2. Brainstorm a List
• Brainstorm a list of stories that illustrate
the answer to the Big Question.
• For example, if one of your reasons for
sharing stories is to have fun, then you
would include stories that are funny, scary,
or entertaining. They might be stories in
this unit or earlier units in this textbook. Or
they might be stories you’ve read on your
own. (It’s okay to list books, too.) If you
want, make your list look like this one.
756 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
SHARING-STORIES READING LIST
Best Stories to Read for Fun
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. Select the Best of the Best As a group,
decide which stories best illustrate each reason. Answer the following questions:
• Would most of my friends enjoy reading
this story? Why or why not? (If not, think
about crossing the title off your list.)
• Is there anything about this story that parents or teachers might object to? (If so,
cross the title off your list.)
• Does this story clearly demonstrate one of
our reasons for sharing stories? (If not,
cross the title off your list.)
4. Present Your List
• Check to make sure all the titles on your
list are correctly spelled.
• Make sure you have listed at least ten stories.
• Read your list aloud to the class or post it
on a bulletin board in your classroom or
school library.
UNIT 6 WRAP-UP
B. Solo Activity: “Two Thumbs Up, Two Thumbs Down!”
Sometimes it’s easy to get into a story. The
characters seem real. Their problems interest
you. Then, when you read the ending, you think,
Aha! Perfect! That’s exactly the way this story
should end! Other times, you can hardly wait to
put a story down. In Activity B, you’ll write a
short review telling why you think a story of
your choice is—or is not—worth sharing with
other kids your age.
1. Decide on a Story
• Choose a story that you strongly like or
dislike. The story might be from Unit 6 or
earlier units in this textbook. Or the story
might be one you’ve read on your own.
• Review the notes you made on your
Unit 6 Foldable. Then ask yourself these
questions:
• Which selection in Unit 6 did I enjoy the
most?
• Why do I think this story should be shared
with other kids my age?
• Which selection did I enjoy the least?
• What are some reasons that I think this
story isn’t worth sharing?
2. Analyze the Story
• Look at the separate parts of the story.
• Think about whether each part is good or
bad and why. That will help you figure out
why you like (or dislike) the story as a
whole.
• Jot down your ideas on a chart like the one
pictured.
characters
problems
worth sharing /
not worth sharing
plot
ending
3. Start Writing
• Begin by stating your opinion of the story.
(Be sure to include the title of the story
and the name of the author.) Then give a
few short reasons for your opinion. Your
opening might be as simple as this:
• “The Boy and His Grandfather,” by Rudolfo
A. Anaya, is definitely worth sharing with
other students. I think they’ll like this
story for many reasons. (Then list the
reasons.)
4. Present Your Story Review
• When you have finished writing, reread
your review.
• Correct any misspellings or errors
in grammar.
• Present your review to your classmates.
Big Question Link to Web resources to further explore the Big Question at www.glencoe
.com.
Wrap-Up 757
UNIT 6
Your Turn: Read and Apply Skills
A u dre
y W o od
Meet the Author
Storytelling and art have
always been part of Audrey
Wood’s life. When she was
very young, her mother told
her fantasy stories about
amazing people. Wood’s
father was an artist for
Ringling Bros. Circus. A little
later in life, Wood carried on
the family storytelling tradition by making up stories to
entertain her little sisters.
Today Wood is a well-known
author and illustrator of children’s books.
Author Search For more
about Audrey Wood, go to
www.glencoe.com.
by Audrey Wood
Storyteller’s Note Now I suppose that you have heard about the
mighty logger Paul Bunyan and his great blue ox named Babe. In
the early days of our country, Paul and Babe cleared the land for the
settlers, so farms and cities could spring up. And you probably know
that Paul was taller than a redwood tree, stronger than fifty grizzly
bears, and smarter than a library full of books. But you may not
know that Paul was married and had two fine children.
O
ne day when Paul Bunyan was out clearing a road
through the forests of Kentucky, a great pounding began
to shake the earth. Looking around, Paul discovered an
enormous hole in the side of a hill. The lumberjack pulled up
an acre of dry cane and fashioned a torch to light his way.
Paul climbed inside the hole and followed the sound underground for miles, until he came to a large cavern glistening with
crystals. By the flickering light of his torch, he saw a gigantic
woman banging a behemoth1 pickax against a wall.
It was love at first sight.
“I’m Carrie McIntie,” the gigantic woman said. “I was
sitting on the hill when my lucky wishbone fell down a crack
into the earth. I’ve been digging all day trying to find it.”
With a grin on his face as wide as the Missouri River, Paul
reached into his shirt pocket. “I’ve got one too,” he said,
1. A behemoth (bih HEE muth) object is really, really big.
758 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Courtesy Audrey Wood
YOUR TURN: READ AND APPLY SKILLS
The Bunyans, illustration by David Shannon from THE BUNYANS by Audrey Wood. Published by the BLUE SKY PRESS. Illustrations © 1996
by David Shannon. Reprinted by permission of Scholastic Inc. THE BLUE SKY PRESS is a registered trademark of Scholastic Inc.
pulling out his lucky wishbone. “Marry me,
Carrie, and we’ll share mine.”
Carrie agreed, and their wedding
invitations were mailed out right away.
The invitations were so large, only one
needed to be sent to each state. Everyone
could read them for miles!
The invitations said: You are cordially
invited to the mammoth2 wedding of Paul
Bunyan and Carrie McIntie. The couple were
married in the enormous crystal chamber
that Carrie had carved, and after the
ceremony, folks began to call it “Mammoth
Cave.” The giantess had dug more than two
hundred miles, making it the longest cave
in the world, so the name fit perfectly.
Paul and Carrie settled down on a farm in
2. Cordially means “in a genuinely warm and friendly way.”
Mammoth means “really big; huge.”
Maine, and soon there were two new
Bunyans. While Pa Bunyan traveled with his
logging crew, Ma Bunyan worked the farm
and cared for their jumbo boy, named Little
Jean, and their gigantic girl, named Teeny.
One morning when Pa Bunyan was home
between jobs, Ma Bunyan cooked up a
hearty breakfast of
pancakes and syrup.
Teeny was wrestling
with her big purple
puma named Slink and
Visual Vocabulary
The puma (PYOO
accidentally dumped a
muh) is a large,
silo of syrup on her
yellowish, wild cat.
It’s also called cougar
head. Teeny’s hair was
and mountain lion.
so sweet, bears crawled
into it and burrowed deep in her curls. Try
as they might, Pa and Ma Bunyan couldn’t
wash them out.
Your Turn: Read and Apply Skills 759
(t)Reprinted by permission of Scholastic., (b)Daniel J. Cox/CORBIS
YOUR TURN: READ AND APPLY SKILLS
“We’ll need a forceful shower of water to
get rid of those varmints!”3 Ma Bunyan
declared.
Pa Bunyan had an idea. He placed his
daughter on Babe, and he led them to the
Niagara River in Canada. The gargantuan4
father scooped out a huge hole in the
middle of the riverbed. As the great river
roared down into the deep hole, Teeny
cried out in delight, “Niagara falls!” Teeny
showered in the waterfall, and the pesky
bears were washed downstream.
When Little Jean was five, he wanted to
work too, so he followed his pa out to his
logging camp in Montana. Thinking his
son was too young to do much of anything,
Paul set Little Jean down in a barren
canyon in Utah to play for the day. When
the lumberjack went to fetch him, he
couldn’t believe his eyes. Little Jean had
carved the canyon into a wonderland of
fanciful5 shapes.
Pa Bunyan got tongue-tied and said,
“That’s a mighty brice nanyon, coy, I mean,
a mighty nice canyon, boy!” Somehow part
of the mix-up stuck.
To this day the canyon is known as Bryce
Canyon.
After all that sculpting, Little Jean’s shoes
were full of sand. Pa knew Ma Bunyan
wouldn’t want her clean floors dirtied up,
so he told Little Jean to sit down and empty
out his shoes.
The sand from Little Jean’s shoes blew
away on the eastern wind and settled down
a state away. It covered a valley ten miles
3. Here, the varmints are pesky animals.
long, making sand dunes eight hundred
feet high. Everyone knows that’s how the
Great Sand Dunes of Colorado came to be.
One summer, Little Jean and Teeny
wanted to go to the beach. Ma Bunyan told
them to follow a river to the ocean. But all
the rivers flowed west back then, so they
missed the Atlantic Ocean and ended up on
the other side of the country instead.
Ma Bunyan tracked them out to the
Pacific Ocean, where she found Teeny
riding on the backs of two blue whales and
Little Jean carving out fifty zigzag miles of
the California coast.
When Ma Bunyan saw what her son had
done, she exclaimed, “What’s the big idea,
sir!?” From that time on, the scenic area
was known as Big Sur.
Ma Bunyan knew she had to put up a
barrier to remind her children not to
wander off too far. So, on the way home,
everyone pitched in and built the Rocky
Mountains. Teeny gathered up and sorted
out all the rivers, letting some flow east and
others west. After that, the children had no
trouble following the eastern rivers down to
the Atlantic Ocean. And when they wanted
to go out exploring, Ma Bunyan would call
out, “Now don’t cross the Continental
Divide, children!”
The best thing about camping is sleeping
outdoors, and the worst thing is not having
enough hot water. That’s why the Bunyans
always camped in Wyoming. By the time
their camping years were over, Ma Bunyan
had poked more than three hundred holes
in the ground with her pickax and released
tons of hot water from geysers.6 But Ma got
4. The word gargantuan comes from the name of a fictional giant,
and it’s another word that means “really big; huge.”
5. A barren place has little or no plant life. Anything that is fanciful
shows imagination in design or construction.
760 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
6. A geyser (GY zur) is an underground spring heated by hot lava
under the earth’s surface.
YOUR TURN: READ AND APPLY SKILLS
tired of poking so many holes, so she
made a geyser that blew every hour
on the hour. After that, there was a
steady supply of hot water to keep the
giants’ clothes and dishes sparkling
clean.
Teeny named the geyser Old
Faithful, and to this day, Old Faithful
still blows its top every hour in
Yellowstone National Park.
As our great country grew up, so
did the Bunyan children. When the
kids left home, Ma and Pa Bunyan
retired to a wilderness area, where
they still live happily.
Teeny hitched a ride on a whale
over to England and became a famous
fashion designer. Her colorful skirts
made from air balloons and her
breezy blouses cut from ship sails
were a sensation7 at the first World’s
Fair in London.
Little Jean traveled to Venice, Italy,
The Bunyans, illustration by David Shannon from THE BUNYANS by Audrey
Wood. Published by the BLUE SKY PRESS. Illustrations © 1996 by David
where he studied astronomy and art.
Shannon. Reprinted by permission of Scholastic Inc. THE BLUE SKY PRESS is
Every day, the gondoliers would take
a registered trademark of Scholastic Inc.
their passengers down
In 1976, the year of our country’s
the Grand Canal8 to
bicentennial, a spacecraft sent by the
watch the giant artist
National Aeronautics and Space
chiseling his marble
Administration was on a mission to study
sculptures.
Visual Vocabulary
Mars. The spacecraft was named Viking I,
After graduation, Little
A gondolier (gon
and it took many photographs of the surface
duh LEER) operates
Jean decided to explore
a gondola—a long,
of the planet. One mysterious photo looked
new lands, as his parents
narrow, flat-bottomed
like a face carved out of colossal rock.
boat with high peaks
had done. So he took two
at the ends.
Some say the photograph is not a face,
great jumps and one
but an illusion caused by light and shadows
flying leap and bounded
on the rock. Others think the famous
up into outer space.
“Martian face” is just the spitting image of
Little Jean Bunyan. If that’s so, who knows
7. Here, sensation means “a cause of excitement of great interest; a
wonder.”
what he’s up to on the other planets.
8. The city of Venice (VEN is) has canals for streets, and the Grand
Only time will tell! ❍
Canal is its main street.
Your Turn: Read and Apply Skills 761
(l)Dennis Degnan/CORBIS, (r)Reprinted by permission of Scholastic.
UNIT 6
Reading on Your Own
To read more about the Big Question, choose one of these books from your
school or local library. Work on your reading skills by choosing books that
are challenging to you.
Fiction
The People Could Fly:
American Black
Folktales
retold by Virginia Hamilton
On Her Way:
Stories & Poems
about Growing Up Girl
This collection contains twenty-four folktales told by
enslaved people and formerly enslaved people.
Included are animal tales, tall tales, supernatural
tales, and tales of freedom. If you like folktales, The
People Could Fly is a must-read.
edited by Sandy Asher
Where Angels Glide
at Dawn: New Stories
from Latin America
Big Men,
Big Country:
A Collection of
American Tall Tales
edited by Lori M. Carlson and
Cynthia L. Ventura
Homes and families provide the background for
several of these ten stories from Latin America. The
stories display a variety of cultures and writing styles.
762 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
(tl tr bl br)Eclipse Studios
Whether traveling west in a wagon train or overcoming terrible illness, the girls in this collection face life’s
challenges with strength and courage. Read this collection to discover what’s great about “growing up girl.”
by Paul Robert Walker
The stories in this collection portray nine American
tall-tale heroes, including Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill,
Sluefoot Sue, and Davy Crockett.
UNIT 6 READING ON YOUR OWN
Nonfiction
Taking Flight:
My Story
by Vicki Van Meter
by Vicki Van Meter;
with Dan Gutman
Before she turned thirteen, Vicki Van Meter had
piloted flights across the United States and the
Atlantic Ocean. Read this true story of how one girl’s
discipline, drive, and desire to soar led her to heights
she hardly dreamed possible.
Shipwrecked!
The True Adventures
of a Japanese Boy
by Rhoda Blumberg
Shipwrecked on an island and rescued by whalers,
Manjiro goes on to experience a life of adventures
that takes him around the globe and back again.
From the high seas to the samurai sword, Manjiro’s
story will thrill and inspire the adventurer in you.
Left for Dead:
A Young Man’s Search
for Justice for the
USS Indianapolis
by Pete Nelson;
with a preface by Hunter Scott
When Japanese torpedoes sank the USS Indianapolis
in July 1945, survivors were stranded in cold Pacific
waters for four days before help arrived. Fifty years
later, eleven-year-old Hunter Scott’s research on the
subject brought new facts to light about what happened, and why, that harrowing week in July.
My Family
Shall Be Free!
The Life of Peter Still
by Dennis Brindell Fradin
Born a slave on a plantation around 1800, Peter Still
was over forty years old when he bought his freedom
and, amazingly, reunited with the mother and siblings
he thought he’d lost forever.
Reading on Your Own 763
(tl tr bl br)Eclipse Studios
UNIT 6 SKILLS AND STRATEGIES ASSESSMENT
Test Practice
Part 1: Literary Elements
Read the passage. Then write the numbers 1 through 4 on a separate sheet of paper.
For the first three questions, write the letter of the right answer next to the number for
that question. Write your answer to the final question next to number 4.
from “Blues Ain’t No Mockin Bird,”
by Toni Cade Bambara
“Go tell that man we ain’t a bunch of
trees.”
“Ma’am?”
“I said to tell that man to get away from
here with that camera.” Me and Cathy look
over toward the meadow where the men
with the station wagon’d been roamin
around all mornin. The tall man with a
huge camera lassoed to his shoulder was
buzzin our way.
“They’re makin movie pictures,” yelled
Tyrone . . . .
“They’re makin movie pictures,” sang out
Terry.
“That boy don’t never have anything
original to say,” say Cathy grown-up.
By the time the man with the camera had
cut across our neighbor’s yard, the twins
were out of the trees swingin low and
Objectives
Literature Identify literary elements: theme,
character, dialect, cultural context
764 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
Granny was onto the steps, the screen
door bammin soft and scratchy against her
palms. “We thought we’d get a shot or two
of the house and everything and then—”
“Good mornin,” Granny cut him off. And
smiled that smile.
“Good mornin,” he said, head all the way
down the way Bingo does when you yell at
him about the bones on the kitchen floor.
“Nice place you got here, aunty. We thought
we’d take a—”
“Did you?” said Granny with her
eyebrows. Cathy pulled up her socks and
giggled.
“Nice things here,” said the man, buzzin
his camera over the yard. The pecan
barrels, the sled, me and Cathy, the flowers,
the printed stones along the driveway, the
trees, the twins, the toolshed.
“I don’t know about the thing, the it, and
the stuff,” said Granny, still talkin with her
eyebrows. “Just people here is what I tend
to consider.”
Camera man stopped buzzin. Cathy
giggled into her collar.
“Mornin’, ladies,” a new man said. He
had come up behind us when we weren’t
lookin. “And gents,” discoverin the twins
givin him a nasty look. “We’re filmin for
the county,” he said with a smile. “Mind
if we shoot a bit around here?”
“I do indeed,” said Granny with no
smile. Smilin man was smilin up a storm.
So was Cathy. But he didn’t seem to have
SKILLS AND STRATEGIES ASSESSMENT
UNIT 6
another word to say, so he and the camera
man backed on out the yard, but you could
hear the camera buzzin still. “Suppose you
just shut that machine off,” said Granny
real low through her teeth, and took a step
down off the porch and then another.
“Now, aunty,” Camera said, pointin the
thing straight at her.
“Your mama and I are not related.”
Smilin man got his notebook out and a
chewed-up pencil. “Listen,” he said movin
back into our yard, “we’d like to have a
statement from you . . . for the film. We’re
filmin for the county, see. Part of the food
stamp campaign. You know about the food
stamps?”
Granny said nuthin.
1. Which of the following sentences from the passage
is written in dialect?
4. What makes Granny treat the camera men the way
she does? Use details from the passage to support
your answer.
A. Cathy giggled into her collar.
B. “I said to tell that man to get away from here
with that camera.”
C. “That boy don’t never have anything original to
say,” say Cathy grown-up.
D. “We thought we’d get a shot or two of the
house and everything and then—”
2. Granny’s statements and actions suggest that she is
A.
B.
C.
D.
quiet and shy
confident and firm
selfish and uncaring
friendly and cooperative
3. What does this passage suggest a theme of the
story will be?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Making movies can be difficult.
It’s peaceful and pretty in the country.
We should make visitors feel welcome.
People’s privacy and dignity should be
respected.
Unit Assessment To prepare for the Unit test,
go to www.glencoe.com.
Skills and Strategies Assessment 765
UNIT 6
SKILLS AND STRATEGIES ASSESSMENT
Part 2: Reading Skills
Read the passage. Then write the numbers 1 through 5 on a separate sheet of paper. For the first four
questions, write the letter of the right answer next to the number for that question. Write your answer
to the final question next to number 5.
Global Warming
1
It’s getting warmer here on Earth. Scientists say our planet’s surface
temperature has gone up one degree F over the last century. And there’s reason
to believe the temperature will keep on rising in the future. This trend is known
as global warming. Many scientists think that global warming is a serious
problem. They believe that even small rises in temperature could cause big
changes on Earth. Here are some of those possible changes:
2
Rise in Sea Level A warmer climate might cause the world’s glaciers to melt.
(These huge, thick slabs of ice are found mainly in Antarctica, Greenland, and
other cold places.) When glaciers melt and form water, some of the water goes
into the sea. More water in the sea means a higher sea level. The level could also
rise for another reason. Water expands, or takes up more space, as it becomes
warmer. So if global warming raises the temperature of sea waters, the warmer
water will expand and the sea level will rise.
3
Flooding and Damage to Plants and Animals A rise in sea level could cause
huge floods to occur. Land along seacoasts could end up under water or could
be washed away. Salt from seawater could get into the soil, harming plant and
animal life.
4
Drought and Smaller Food Supply Global warming might also cause less
rain to fall in some areas of the Earth. Droughts—long periods without rain—
could harm crops in these areas. And smaller crops could lead to food shortages.
5
Health Problems Some scientists believe that global warming may also
cause an increase in malaria rates. Malaria is a serious disease that is spread
by a certain kind of mosquito. Like all mosquitoes, the
malaria mosquito breeds in hot weather. Warmer
temperatures might also cause an increase in
the number of heart attacks that people
suffer. That’s because very warm
weather can be a strain on the human
heart.
Objectives
6
Reading Make predictions • Ask questions • Understand
Clearly, the possible effects of
cause and effect • Analyze text
global warming are serious. Can
we stop them from happening?
Some scientists believe that we
can. But in order to do so, we
766 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
SKILLS AND STRATEGIES ASSESSMENT
7
UNIT 6
will have to change our ways. Our use of fossil fuels may be the number one
cause of global warming. Here’s why. When fossil fuels are burned, they give off
a gas called carbon dioxide. This gas absorbs heat from the sun. Then it reflects
the heat back into the Earth’s lower atmosphere (the gases near the surface of the
Earth). When too much heat is reflected back, the temperature of the Earth rises.
We release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere whenever we drive cars
powered by a fossil fuel such as gas. And because much of our electricity is
made by burning coal, another fossil fuel, our use of electricity also adds to the
carbon dioxide level. The solution to the global warming problem lies with us. To
cut down on the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we must cut back
on our use of fossil-fuel energy. Here are some ways to do that:
• Drive less Walk, ride your bike, take public transportation, or carpool.
Do what you can to cut down on the amount of time your family spends
driving the car.
• Use less electricity Turn out the lights when you leave a room. Turn off
your computer and your TV when you’re not using them.
• Support the use of solar power Solar power—power created by the heat
of the sun—is clean, natural, and renewable. That means that as long as
there’s a sun, there will be solar energy. Let people know the pluses of
solar power. And use solar power yourself. For example, dry your clothes
on a clothesline outdoors instead of in a dryer.
1. Which of the following is a cause of global
warming?
A.
B.
C.
D.
the addition of sea salt to the soil
the melting of glaciers in Antarctica
a decrease in rainfall in farming country
an increase in the level of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere
2. Which of the following would most likely occur if
everyone switched from fossil fuels to solar power?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Air pollution would increase.
Global warming would decrease.
The supply of solar energy would decrease.
The level of carbon dioxide in the air would
increase.
3. The answer to which of the following questions
would help readers understand paragraph 6?
A.
B.
C.
D.
What are fossil fuels?
Why does the sun give off heat?
Who discovered global warming?
Where is the upper atmosphere located?
4. Which of the following is the best analysis of how
the passage is organized?
A.
B.
C.
D.
time order
comparison and contrast
problem, cause, and solution
most important idea to least important idea
5. Name and explain three possible effects of global
warming. Use details from the passage to support
your explanations.
Skills and Strategies Assessment 767
UNIT 6
SKILLS AND STRATEGIES ASSESSMENT
Part 3: Vocabulary Acquisition and English Language Skills
On a separate sheet of paper, write the numbers 1 through 10. Next to each number, write the letter
of the right answer for that question.
Write the letter of the word that means about the
same as the underlined word.
6. Which phrase contains slang?
1. to taunt someone
A. hit
B. teach
C. tease
D. praise
2. gnarled fingers
A. long
B. smooth
Choose the correct answer for each question.
C. crossed
D. twisted
A. a cool breeze
B. cool the soup
C. a cool song
D. such cool weather
7. What does the underlined idiom mean in the
following sentence? This is hard; would you
lend a hand?
A. clap
B. help me
C. watch me
D. write it down
3. solemnly made a promise
A. falsely
B. seriously
C. carelessly
D. needlessly
4. regretfully saying no
A. angrily
B. secretly
C. repeatedly
D. sadly
5. contemporary fads
A. present-day
B. short-lived
C. high-risk
D. old-fashioned
8. Read the following dialogue. What does the
underlined dialect mean?
“I’m right peckish, mate,” Algie complained.
“Okay. We’ll get something to eat in a few
minutes,” Ben replied.
A. “I’m very hungry, friend.”
B. “I’m eager to work, sailor.”
C. “I’m right and you’re wrong, wife.”
D. “I’m in an awfully good mood, buddy.”
9. Use what you know about the word pull to figure
out what pull means in the following sentence.
I wish I had some pull where I work.
A. time
B. supplies
C. influence
D. vacation time
Objectives
Vocabulary Understand idioms • Understand slang
• Distinguish literal from metaphoric meanings
Grammar Identify direct objects • Identify indirect objects
• Use compound and complex sentences • Combine sentences • Identify and correct run-on sentences • Correct
errors in writing conventions
768 UNIT 6 Why Do We Share Our Stories?
10. In which sentence is the phrase “in hot water”
used figuratively?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Wash the dishes in hot water.
We poached the eggs in hot water.
She burned her finger in hot water.
If you lie to Dad, you’ll be in hot water.
SKILLS AND STRATEGIES ASSESSMENT
UNIT 6
Part 4: Grammar and Writing Skills
Write the numbers 1–8 on a separate sheet of paper. Then write the letter of the right answer
next to the number for that question.
1. Which of the following sentences contains a direct
object?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The trees bent in the storm.
Jeff returned at four o’clock.
Jaguars run as fast as the wind.
Casey loves cereal for breakfast.
3. Which of the following is a run-on sentence?
A. I’ll help you with math I’m good at it.
B. We could study together at my house or yours.
C. Call me if you don’t understand the story
problems.
D. At first they seem hard, but they get easier with
practice.
2. What is the indirect object in the sentence below?
4. Which of the following is correctly punctuated?
Maurice showed the doctor his swollen ankle.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Maurice
doctor
swollen
ankle
A. The game was great our team won by three
points.
B. I thought we would lose, our star player was
injured.
C. We will probably be in the playoffs, but there
are no guarantees.
D. We can’t lose any more players, or any more
games in our division.
Read the paragraph. Then answer the questions that follow.
1I didn’t want to go to school I was feeling sick. 2“I wonder just how sick you are” my
mom said. 3“I guess your much too sick to go to the mall and look at new radios and cell
phones tonight.” 4I had forgotten that we were suppose to go shopping for my birthday
presents.
5. Which correction should be made to sentence 1?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Insert a comma after “school.”
Insert “and” after “school.”
Insert “because” after “school.”
Insert a comma and “but” after “school.”
6. Which correction should be made to sentence 2?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Change “I” to “i.”
Insert a comma after “are.”
Insert a question mark after “are.”
Change “mom” to “Mom.”
7. Which correction should be made to sentence 3?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Change “your” to “you’re.”
Change “too” to “to.”
Change “mall” to “Mall.”
Change “radios” to “radioes.”
8. Which correction should be made to sentence 4?
A. Change “had forgotten” to “have forgot.”
B. Insert a period after “forgotten” and capitalize
“that.”
C. Change “suppose” to “supposed.”
D. Change “presents” to “presence.”
Skills and Strategies Assessment 769